


Estrellita: A Cobra Kai Story

by BlueBella67, irwindiaz11



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band), Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: 5 Seconds Of Summer Imagines, Abuse, Angst and Feels, Bullying, Cobra Kai (Web Series) Spoilers, Cobra Kai Dojo, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Multiple Pairings, No Smut, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, no beta we die like kreese
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:54:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 43
Words: 68,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27678371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueBella67/pseuds/BlueBella67, https://archiveofourown.org/users/irwindiaz11/pseuds/irwindiaz11
Summary: Life comes to a screeching halt for Lauren Wilson, as she leaves behind everything she's ever known and ends up in Los Angeles. Her new life's a complete mess, that is, until she runs into Cobra Kai.She finds herself torn between warring karate dojos and loyalties are tested to the extent that she doesn't know what to think anymore.And, if that isn't enough, add in the daily struggles of being a teenager into the mix. Let the fireworks begin![Formatted (NOT EDITED) by BlueBella67]
Relationships: Carmen Diaz/Johnny Lawrence, Miguel Diaz (Cobra Kai)/Original Female Character(s), Miguel Diaz/Samantha LaRusso, Moon/Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz, Robby Keene/Samantha LaRusso
Comments: 22
Kudos: 24





	1. Prologue: The Move

"Face me, bow. Face each other, bow. Now, fight!"

  
"No hard feelings.." the dark-haired girl mumbled, as she threw a punch straight to her opponent's face. Lauren Wilson blocked it with ease, sidestepped and tripped her opponent. "Hyah!" She shouted as she punched her now exposed ribcage.

"Well done, girls. Up!"

"Nice one, Lauren," Mia said as the former pulled her up.

"I'm gonna miss you, Mia. I don't wanna go."

"It's going to be fine, you're Lauren Wilson; you can handle anything. Besides, you're moving to LA! Could there be anything better?"

Lauren smiled. "There could. If you were coming there with me." 

"Hey, we'll be in touch. I know the time difference is huge, but we'll make it work." Mia threw her arms around her best friend, feeling the lump in her throat get bigger. But she shoved it down. _I have to be strong, for Lauren,_ she thought, as she let go.

"I can't believe that this is it. Our last time sparring together. Who's going to keep your feet firm in the ground after I'm gone? You're going to get a big head, I know it." Lauren teased as they packed their gis, preparing to leave. Mia began to walk towards the staircase, but Lauren stopped her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to say goodbye to Sensei. You know, eight years is a long time."

Mia nodded. "I'll wait outside."

"Sensei, I, um, I wanted to talk to you."

"Go ahead."

"I think you know, I'm moving to America next week, and I just wanted to say goodbye." 

He nodded. "You've come a long way, Lauren. Eight years ago, I never thought the chubby, timid little girl who walked through these doors would leave as one of the finest. I'm proud of you, and you should be too. Good luck, and don't forget what you've learnt."

"Yes, Sensei. I never thought I'd end up doing karate, either."

Sensei laughed, realising how much he'd grown to care for this girl. "Life's full of surprises, what can I say? Never forget, karate is only for defence. Never be the one to start a fight; try to avoid it as much as possible. Then again, if you're cornered, don't hesitate to give it your all."

"Thank you for everything, Sensei. It was tough, but, it made me tough."

"Take care of yourself, Wilson."

"I will. You too!"

As he watched her retreating figure shut the door, he sighed. This girl made a difference in everyone's life around her. And there were many more to come.

* * *

"Bye, guys. I'm gonna miss you all so, so much." Lauren said, her voice cracking up. She was dissolved into a hug from her four best friends; Mia, Jackie, Brendon and Lee.

"You'll be fine, angry girl, just don't forget to call us," Brendon said. Lauren laughed through her tears and playfully punched his shoulder.

"Lauren, it's time." Mrs Wilson said as she watched her daughter hug her friends one last time. Lauren grabbed her suitcase and began walking towards the boarding gate. Before going in, she turned around and waved.

As soon as the Wilsons disappeared into the crowds of passengers, Mia broke down.

"What if- what if she forgets us?" She sobbed as the other three tried to console her.

"She won't. She could never. Lauren is fiercely loyal to her friends, sometimes even more than she is to her family. She'll be just fine. Now come on, let's go."

* * *

"Kindly fasten your seatbelts and keep your window shades open. Cabin crew to your take-off stations, thank you." Lauren felt the ground rumble as the aircraft lifted off the runway. As they went higher, her stomach felt queasy, but she liked the sensation. She loved travelling. As she looked out the window at her home, the houses getting smaller every second. She caught a brief glimpse of the Merlion statue as a single year escaped her cheek.

"I'm going to miss you, Singapore." She whispered as the flight flew into the sunset. At times like these, she would just put on her headphones. 'Beside You' by 5 Seconds Of Summer started playing, which was one of her favourite songs. She shut her eyes and began to hum softly.

_Within a minute I was all packed up,_   
_I got a ticket to another world._   
_I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go._


	2. The "Rich Kids"

The alarm broke Lauren's chain of dreams, as she reached for her phone to stop the deafening noise. 5:00 am, as always. She sat still for a while, shaking off any sleep. When she opened her eyes again, fifteen minutes had passed. She jumped off her bed and changed into a black tank top and grey shorts. She threw her hair into a high ponytail and finished it off with her signature red bandanna. Just as she stepped out of the house into Encino boulevard, her eyes widened with shock.

"Where in the world-" she began, when it dawned on her. She was in California!

All around her, she saw broad roads lined with big, expensive-looking houses and palm trees at every corner. She turned to look at her new house, which blended perfectly with the surroundings, towering over her. To Lauren, her new house was overwhelmingly huge compared to all her past residences. They had had a very nice condo back in Singapore, but it was nowhere near as big as this one. Where was the space in Singapore?

Lauren walked for a while before putting on her headphones and breaking into a fast jog. She didn't understand why people hated waking up early. She loved the slight chill in the morning air; jogging through empty roads gave her a sense of tranquillity that she barely felt otherwise. She loved pushing herself till she was breathless and catching her breath as she watched the sky turn golden with the rising sun. After asking around a little bit, she finally made her way to the beach. She let out a deep breath as she sat down on the sand, as close as she could get to the water without wetting her shoes. The calm lapping of the waves, the low whistle of the humid California breeze and the overall silence of the place made start to love her new home already.

Lauren was roused from her trance by the sound of her phone ringing. She jumped, startled at first, but her eyes lit up when she saw who it was.

"Hey, how's California treating you?" Mia asked, snuggled up in her bed.

"It's beautiful! It's almost as good as our walks down East Coast Park!" Lauren said as she showed Mia her surroundings.

"Woah that's amazing, you get to work out on the beach! I mean, so did we, but still. Oh, by the way, you won't believe what happened at karate today..."

Just listening to Mia go on and on about her day like nothing had changed made Lauren realise something. Nothing **had** changed. She was just starting afresh in a new place. Her friends weren't going anywhere, but she'd need new ones if she wanted to get by in this next level of her life.

"I'm planning a trip to Cali this very Christmas!" Mia said in between yawns.

"Gosh, what time is it there?" Lauren asked, still not used to the time difference.

"Uh, 10:24 pm."

"Wow, that's a lot. You know what? Get some sleep, we'll talk later. Goodnight."

"G'night, Lauren."

Lauren checked her watch. 6:24 am. Plenty of time to go. Not that she had anything planned for the day; school started in two weeks, so she had enough time to explore. Her eyes flickered down to her wallpaper. It was a picture from the day she got her black belt, three months ago. She smiled wistfully, and after a second, got up. She began with basic stretches and soon advanced to practising punches, blocks and kicks. Karate was an outlet for all her pent up anger, which was more often than not caused by stupid reasons.

"Um, excuse me."

Lauren turned around suddenly and her slap kick barely missed a man, apparently in his late forties, who was looking at her.

"Sorry about that, I didn't see you there." She apologized to the man, who nodded. He still didn't move, though. He just stood there, looking at her. "Uh, can I help you, sir?" She offered, wanting to cut through the awkward moment.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare, but was that karate?" He asked, his brown eyes widening. 

"Yes, I've been doing it for eight years now."

He smiled. "Those were some impressive kicks you were doing."

"Thank you." He held out his hand. "Daniel LaRusso, pleasure to meet you."

"Lauren Wilson. I just moved here."

Daniel LaRusso...where had she heard that name before? "Are you the guy who won that karate tournament years ago? Valley tournament or something?" She asked.

"Yes, yes that's me. How did you know?"

"The taxi driver told us when we saw one of your billboards on the ride home from the airport. Looks like you're kinda famous around here."

Daniel shrugged. "I wouldn't say famous, that's too much. But I do kick the competition."

Lauren laughed. "Yeah, I saw the commercial."

"Dad, can we go home now? My legs are _killing_ me!" A girl came up behind Daniel. She had blue eyes and beautiful brown hair. She looked like she was Lauren's age.

"Oh hey, Sam, meet Lauren Wilson. Lauren, this is my daughter Samantha." The two shook hands and decided to take a walk along the beach.

"Okay then, I'll leave you two to get to know each other."

Lauren nodded. "See you around, Mr LaRusso!"

"So, where'd you move from? Florida? New York?" Samantha asked. "

Oh no, I moved from Singapore. My parents are American, but I've lived there for pretty much my whole life."

"That's cool..." She stopped mid-sentence, and Lauren followed her gaze. A few hundred metres away stood a group of teenagers in bathing suits. One of them jogged up to the duo. He was tall, black-haired and looked like he might be Asian.

"Hey, Sam." He said, eyeing them in a way that made Lauren feel uncomfortable.

"Hey, Kyler!" Samantha cooed, and they stared at each other for what seemed like forever, till Lauren cleared her throat loudly.

"Oh, sorry. Kyler, this is Lauren, she just moved here. Lauren, Kyler. He goes to West Valley High with me."

"Hey, nice to meet you. Oh, that's great, I'm going to West Valley too!" Just then, two other girls walked up to them.

"Lauren, this is Yasmine, and this is Moon. Yas, Moon, Lauren Wils-"

"Yes, yes we heard. Lauren Wilson, she just moved here." The blonde named Yasmine interrupted.

"Where do you live, Lauren?" She asked, eyeing her closely, almost as is she was judging her clothes.

"Uh, Encino Boulevard...? I guess that's what it's called, I'm not very familiar with the place yet." At the mention of her address, Yasmine's eyes widened, and her lips stretched into a tight smile, which almost seemed forced.

"Wow, that's cool! Even we live around there. You can hang with us till school starts, and maybe we'll stick together this year?" The other brunette named Moon offered. She seemed nice. Nicer than Yasmine, at least.

"Uh, sure! Thanks! I'll see you guys around, I gotta go!"

Just as she turned and started walking away, she heard Yasmine comment, "Ugh, what basic clothes she has! Looks like she picked it out in her sleep, ew! I'd never even dream of buying something under $50, the quality is just pathetic!" The others snickered. Lauren rolled her eyes as she kept walking. Snide comments about the way she dressed didn't bother her in the least. She liked what she wore, and that's all that mattered.  
On second thought, maybe she'd stay away from these people, they seemed like the typical "rich" brats every high school has.

"Looks like I've still got some friends to find."


	3. LaRusso and Lawrence

Lauren had been in California for a week now, and her family had been quick to make friends with the LaRussos. Lauren and Sam spent a lot of time together, except when she hung out with the others. Daniel LaRusso wasted no time in telling the Wilsons about his high school life, and how he was tormented by the Cobra Kai, and their leader Johnny Lawrence. Hearing about how he finally got the better of Lawrence in the All Valley tournament with his infamous crane kick, Lauren took a dislike to the Cobra Kai. Anyone would if told of their antics.

Just a few days before school started, Lauren got a call from an old friend she hadn't met in years. "Megan! Oh my god, it's been so long! You're in LA, too? I thought you guys moved to Texas or something. Wow, this is great! Where do you live? Alright, I'll come by sometime this evening. See you there!" Lauren's face was flushed with happiness. Megan was one of her oldest friends who had moved to Texas when they were ten years old. Now, six years later, she had never expected to run into her. "Hey Sam, do you know where Reseda is? That's where my friend lives." Samantha wrinkled her nose. "Reseda? That's um, on the other side of town..." She looked like she wanted to say more, but didn't. "Reseda? That's the peasant place, isn't it?" Sam's little brother Anthony mumbled from behind them, his mouth full of food as usual. "Shut up, Anthony," Sam said, before turning back towards Lauren. "Uh, just don't mind him. Reseda... Let's just say the people who live there aren't the most... Well off?" Lauren nodded. "So, can you give me a ride later?" Sam nodded and said that she'd be happy to oblige.

* * *

"Oh my god, there she is!" Lauren exclaimed, waving at the girl standing a little distance away. "Thanks for the ride, Sam." She said, getting out of the car. "My pleasure!" She smiled and rolled down the window as Lauren introduced Megan and Sam to each other. "Sam, this is Megan, one of my oldest friends whom I'm lucky to still be in touch with, and Megan, this is Samantha LaRusso, my first friend here." Megan's eyes widened as she shook hands with the other girl. "La-LaRusso? Like Daniel LaRusso? You're related to him?" She stammered. Sam smiled warmly and nodded. "Yeah, he's my dad. But don't let that bother you! Goodnight, have fun!" As she drove off, Megan let out a huge sigh of relief. "At least she's not like them..." She muttered to herself. "Like who?" Lauren asked. "There are these rich kids who come here to buy alcohol and stuff, and, well, they scare me. One day I came to buy something from the strip mall, and they kept calling out to me and stuff. Anyway, when I started to walk away, they kept following me. It was kinda creepy." Lauren shuddered. "Well, next time, don't let them take advantage of you. Tell them that you don't like it and that they should stop doing it." She said firmly.

"But, I've seen them beat people up... I don't want to get on their bad side." Lauren fumed. Nobody should be allowed to control her friend or anyone for that matter with fear. Megan hastily changed the topic. "So, you wanna grab some dinner?" They went to a nearby cafe and caught up with each other's lives over coffee and sandwiches. As they left the cafe and walked around, Lauren checked her watch. 9:50 pm. "Whoa, it's late! I should call Sam and see if she can pick me up." Sam asked her to wait at the strip mall, saying that she'd be there in about half an hour. As they waited, they saw a group of teenage boys push their way into the department store. In a few minutes, a boy stumbled out of the store with the boys screaming "What the hell, man?" The other boy was trembling. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know you were trying to buy beer. I'm sorry." They snatched the plastic bag from his hands. "Look, it's Pepto! Someone has frickin' diarrhea!" Lauren recognized the voice with a shock. It was Kyler, that guy she met on the beach. "Hey, give that back! It's for my grandma!" The boy pleaded. "Oh, it's for your grandma? I'm so sorry man..." Kyler said as he poured the medicine all over the boy's head. Lauren, who had been standing by all this time, marched to the group. "Leave him alone, Kyler!"

Kyler turned to see Lauren. "Oh hey, beautiful!" he said, throwing the poor boy to the ground. "Don't call me that. And leave him alone." Lauren said, disgusted. "Uh-huh? And what if I don't? He your boyfriend? Huh?" He asked as another one of his goons started beating up the boy. "He's not. If you don't get out right now, I'll make you." Lauren had had enough by now. Kyler laughed. "Did you hear that, boys? She'll make us leave him alone! I don't wanna have to hit a girl, you know." He said, as his cronies cackled behind him. Lauren rolled her eyes. "Oh boy, you're gonna wish you never had to hit this girl." She growled. "Okay, enough with the small talk. Bring it on, Princess!" He coaxed, grabbing the other boy by the collar, who looked defeated by this time. Lauren simply stood there, with her hands in her pockets. She watched as Kyler lost his patience and one of his friends came at her from behind. She let him grab her by the arms while Kyler tossed the boy aside and ambled towards her. As soon as he was right in front of her, he smirked. "Giving up so soon, Princess?" She kept quiet and kneed him in the groin with all her might. He doubled over in pain, and she headbutted her captor, turned around to face him, and punched him square on the nose. The other two boys split up, one coming at her and the other resumed beating up the weaker boy. He grabbed her hair and pulled it hard. Lauren yelled in pain and rage as she tripped him up, freed herself from his grasp, and slapped him hard, multiple times. She didn't see Kyler coming from behind her and put her in a chokehold.

Lauren was caught off guard for a moment, and as she regained her focus she elbowed him in the ribs. Just as a side-kick to his abdomen found its mark, she heard a deep voice yell, "Hey, watch the car!" She looked up to see a middle-aged man with blonde hair. "Get off the nerd, man!" He shouted to the boy who was still beating the life out of the other boy. "MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, GRANDPA!" Kyler shouted. "I said, Leave. Them. Alone." The man said through gritted teeth. "Or what?" Kyler teased, moving away from Lauren. She watched in awe as the man kicked him away, and clutched his hip in pain, apparently out of practice. Kyler jumped in and choked him. "What's wrong? Having trouble breathing?" He asked. The man threw him to the ground and eventually got him into a chokehold. "What's the matter, having trouble breathing?" As he single-handedly took on Kyler and his goons, Lauren ran to the boy. "Hey, are you okay?" She asked, helping him up. He winced as she pulled him up, but nodded. His hair was covered in sticky pink liquid which flowed down his neck to his clothes. "Thanks." He said.

"Anytime. I'm Lauren Wilson." She said, sticking her hand out. "Miguel Diaz." He said and shook it. Just then, they heard police sirens. The cops grabbed the man and pushed him into their car. "Wait, it's not his fault!" Miguel said, rushing forward, but they had already left. Lauren heard another car honk. She looked up to see Sam talking to Megan. "That's my ride. Goodnight Miguel. Get yourself cleaned up." "Goodnight, Lauren. I'll, um, see you around?" She nodded and smiled. "Lauren! Let's go!" Lauren waved to Miguel and Megan as she drove off with Sam, who was oblivious to the ventures of her 'friends'. And Lauren didn't tell her either. She didn't want to be the new girl who ruins all friendships, though Sam was way better off without them. It's her life, she can be friends with whoever she wants.


	4. West Valley High

The first day of school dawned bright and clear, and Lauren made her way to the beach early in the morning, as usual. She caught a ride to school with Sam, who kept asking her if she was nervous. Lauren admitted that she was a tiny bit nervous, but didn't think much of it. She got through the first half of the day without drawing unnecessary attention to herself, but she naturally stood out because of her confidence and intelligence, not to mention her looks. Her long brown hair was left loose down her back, her open brown eyes twinkled with amusement and friendliness towards anyone she spoke to, but could also glint menacingly to anyone who crossed her. Her tall, slim, athletic build and her confident stride drew eyes to her. Lauren didn't mind the attention, but she didn't bask in it either. When the lunch bell rang, she looked around the cafeteria slightly lost, not knowing where to sit and tables were filling fast. "Lauren, over here!" She turned to see Sam waving to her.

She walked to her, only to see Yasmine, Moon, Kyler, and the whole gang. "Sam, you look beautiful today," Kyler said, as Sam looked at him with shining eyes. Lauren gagged internally. Not only was it too cheesy for her liking, but of all people, Sam fancied Kyler? "Hey Lauren, come sit with us." Moon offered, pulling out a chair. "Nice outfit." She said, earnestly. Lauren looked down at her black 5SOS hoodie, light blue jeans, and white sneakers. "Thanks, I like yours too." She looked around, but every other table was full. I guess I'll sit here today... She put down her tray between Samantha and Moon as they made small talk about stuff that went right past her head.

Halfway through lunch, Yasmine leaned towards the other girls and whispered, "Look at that boy, he's wearing probably the cheapest sweater I've ever seen. And what's with the scar on his lip? Freak." Lauren felt sick to the stomach. "That's not very nice, Yasmine-" she began, but someone caught her eye. A tall, dark-haired boy with tan skin was walking towards them. It was the boy from the other night. What was his name again? Michael...Milo...Miguel...Miguel! Lauren opened her mouth to call out to him, but he turned around and hurried away as soon as he saw Kyler there.

"Oh look, it's 'Rhea!" Kyler said, and all the boys laughed. She saw Miguel sit next to the boy with the scar on his lip, and another one that never seemed to stop talking. Yasmine laughed a high, phoney laugh as she said: "Oh gosh, those freaks deserve each other." Everyone except Samantha and Lauren laughed. The latter noticed Sam look uncomfortable but keep quiet. The teasing continued for a few more minutes, and Lauren stood up. "Lauren, where are you going?" Moon asked, grabbing her arm. "Yeah, there's half an hour left!" Sam said.

"I'm done," was all she said as she walked to the three boys. "Are you here to say something else about me?" The boy with the scar asked. "Oh no, not at all. I'm here to apologize for what they said." "Why were you sitting with them? They're jerks." The other one asked. "I didn't know. And besides, everywhere else was full." She saw Miguel smiling at her and smiled back. "Oh hey, I didn't expect to run into you!" "Yeah, me neither. Do you want to sit with us?" "Dude, you know her?" Miguel nodded. "Guys this is Lauren. She saved my butt at the strip mall that day. Lauren, this is Demetri and this is Eli." Demetri, the sarcastic one put out his hand. Eli, on the other hand, just nodded with a small smile. "He's a man of few words." They talked for a while, and Lauren noticed Yasmine giving her the stink eye. The bell rang, and Lauren made her way to History with Miguel. He told her that he'd been learning karate from Mr Lawrence, the man who fought Kyler the other day. Lauren enjoyed Miguel's company. He was genuinely nice and didn't disguise his opinions to match anyone else's. As for the other two, Demetri was just straight out annoying, but Eli seemed sweet.

"So Lauren, where'd you learn taekwondo or karate, or whatever that was?" "It was karate. I trained for eight years back home in Singapore." "Woah, how far did you get?" Lauren smiled. "I got my black belt a few months ago." Miguel's mouth fell open and he stared at her. "You're kidding, right?" "No, I'm serious. Why, you don't believe me?" "You were really good that day." "Do you want to spar with me sometime?" Miguel nodded. "How about 5:30 am tomorrow?" His jaw dropped. "Th-that early?" "Yep!" "Uh, I'll think about it." "Sure, see you tomorrow!"


	5. World War 3

The next few weeks passed without much activity. Miguel trained with Lauren every morning, as she got used to her new life. Training was her one getaway from the crazy world she lived in. She would get up at 5 am, jog and train with Miguel, helping him grasp the techniques his Sensei taught him, only in a less intense way. Occasionally, she'd teach him something from her style of karate. After that, school, full of drama and bullying already; after she got home, studying took another three hours, not including homework. Then, piano and guitar lessons, and at the end of the day, tired out, she would be forced to referee family squabbles on most days. Her family was close-knit, no doubt, they just had strong personalities that often clashed. Today, she was excited. It was the day of the Halloween Dance and she was having dinner early before she would change into her Wonder Woman costume.

Her mother and grandmother were going head-to-head, and Lauren just sighed, picked up her guitar, and slammed the bedroom door. She put on her headphones and began strumming to Eyes Closed by Halsey. Her phone chimed with an Instagram notification.

 _migueldiaz818 posted: Happy Birthday YAYA! Te quiero mucho! I love you so much!_ The caption was accompanied by a selfie of Miguel, his mother, and his grandma. Lauren smiled. She commented as well, wishing his grandmother a happy birthday. She hadn't met Miguel's family in person yet, but by the way he spoke about them, Lauren did not doubt that they were a loving and much more peaceful family than hers. Of course, she loved her family to death, but she sometimes wished they weren't always arguing. Worse, she was always caught in the crossfire. Just then, her room's door opened. "Lauren, come for dinner!" Her dad called. "I'm not hungry," she said and continued strumming softly. Dinner was the last thing on her mind when her house was practically World War 3.

Mr Wilson rolled his eyes. "I don't like that attitude, Lauren. You don't have to have an answer to everything. Sometimes, just do what you're told." Lauren frowned. She didn't like it when her father spoke to her like that. She believed in speaking her mind, but her parents didn't always appreciate it. They said she was 'behaving like a teenager' and had become selfish and inconsiderate. In Lauren's opinion, her parents had changed. When she was younger, her parents never said a thing to make her feel bad about herself. She was taught to speak out and never stay silent when something didn't feel right. While these days, her outspokenness was looked upon as insolence; expressing her opinions on topics where she disagreed was considered disrespectful. Her parents' misconception about teenagers was beginning to get to her. Before she could lose her mind on this, she focused her attention on her music.

Music was the one thing that could calm her down. Karate too, but letting out her aggression inside the house didn't end very well last time. It was a miracle that the glass pane she accidentally kicked didn't cut through the sole of her foot. Honestly, it didn't even leave a graze. Lost in thought, she didn't notice the constant buzzes from her phone that was lying on the table. She didn't know how much time had passed when her dad called her again. "LAUREN! GET RID OF THAT ATTITUDE AND COME DOWN FOR DINNER!" She rolled her eyes and went downstairs. "I forgot to tell you, you're sleeping on the sofa tomorrow." Lauren looked up from her food. "What? Why?" "Aunt Millie is visiting." "I thought she wasn't coming till next month!" "There's been a change. Anyway, she's using your room." "What about the guest room? Why my room?" "Don't ask too many questions. Your room has more space than the guest room, so she can keep her luggage there." "But- but that's for my instruments! I just had them moved to the living room because you wanted me to clean my room! And why do I have to sleep on the sofa? Why can't I use the guest room?"

Her mother stared at her like she was stupid. "Her whole family is coming. You can't expect four people to cram it in your room, do you? Where do you think your cousins will sleep?" "But I have all my stuff there- my clothes, my books- everything!" "So?" "So how do you expect me to get ready for my morning workout? That isn't even as important as school! How do I get ready for school, where do I study? Aunt and Uncle are obviously going to get up as late as they please, but how am I going to go about my life?" Her mother slammed her hand down on the table and glared at her. Yep, she was in for a long, long lecture. Lauren already knew what it would consist of, but she braced herself anyway.

"Is that all you can think of? The world won't come crashing down if you miss your stupid morning workout for a week! And as for school, you can change in the bathroom." Lauren swallowed hard. A WEEK? "Look how selfish you've become. What happened to the sweet girl I raised? If you have so many objections about sharing your room with your relatives, I seriously don't know how we're going to depend on you in the future." Lauren winced. She hated this part, and she knew she'd never do something like that, but her father joined in. "Yeah, when you grow up and we get old, who knows, you might just kick us out of your house! I mean, you get upset at everything we say, this is not what we expected of you. Why do you get so offended? We never said anything wrong, we're just correcting your mistakes, so you don't get any brattier than you have already become."

Even though she'd heard this many times before, Lauren could never get used to this taunt. Her own parents were making her out to be a monster. She clenched her fists and tried not to cry. At one point, she had had enough and had to speak up for herself. "Why do you guys enjoy making me the bad guy all the time? Teenagers aren't monsters, no matter what you've been thinking. I'm surprised you even think that- I mean, you all were my age once, and I'm pretty sure you had these same thoughts. So why put me through the same drama when you know exactly how I feel? Why-" "QUIET! JUST KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT FOR ONCE!" Her father shouted, cutting her off. She gasped and bit her lip. If things couldn't get worse, her grandmother began preaching her old school theories at the same time. "You know, you should never talk back to your parents, especially girls. Girls shouldn't even question anything-" Lauren ran to her room and slammed the door. Again. She collapsed onto the fort of pillows and blankets and cried till her eyes were swollen. Her phone vibrated again, and she got up to check who it was. 37 unread messages!

Miguel Diaz  
  
**Today** 5:18 PM  
hey what r u coming as???? I cant wait to see!!! btw my costume sucks, so yea. be warned. anyway, what time r u coming?  
  
6:24 PM  
omg okay so UPDATE- my costume now rocks!!!!  
  
i cant wait to show it offfff .  
  
btw Demetri is coming as a wizard of some kind (dont tell him i told u)  
  
anyway see you there!!  
  
7:01 PM  
hey where r u???????? i dont see you here  
  
lauren?  
  
LAUREN?????  
  
helloooo?  
  
r u there?  
  
r u ok?  
  


Sam LaRusso  
  
**Today** 6:17 PM  
heyy i cant wait for the dance!!!  
  
i'll see u there?  
  
We're going as laker girls btw.  
  
i cant wait to see ur costume!  
  
hey where r u?  
  


Aisha Robinson  
  
**Today** 7:55 PM  
hey where r u???  
  
miguel and sam r looking all over for u  
  


And so on. Lauren looked at her costume lying on the other side of the bed and groaned in frustration. The dance! She missed it! It was 8:50 pm now, and there was still time. She pulled on her costume and did some light makeup to hide that she'd been crying. "I'm going to the Halloween Dance." She said, and without waiting for a response from her parents, she called a taxi.

When she got there, she couldn't find Miguel. Aisha was there but she wouldn't talk to her for some reason. Sam seemed uneasy because Mr LaRusso was chaperoning, and her 'friends' kept looking at Lauren like they wanted to gut her. When Sam began ignoring her, apparently to impress her friends, she gave up trying to get along with the "rich girls" and began looking around desperately for the one real friend she had at this place, but he was the only one she couldn't find. She tried texting him. No answer. Demetri and Eli were there, but they said they last saw him near the bathrooms. She was wandering in the hallway when she saw Kyler and his gang come out of the boys' locker room. "That was brutal, Ky!" One of them said. "Yeah, you broke 'Rhea off!" Lauren's heart sank. 'Rhea was what they called Miguel. Surely he wasn't too hurt? He had been training for a few weeks now, so it couldn't be all that bad.

She looked around to make sure nobody saw her going in. "Miguel? Miguel, are you here? Miguel?"


	6. No More Karate

She heard a faint whimper from a corner. It was dark, and Lauren couldn't see a thing. She made her way towards the sound slowly, one hand on the wall, in search of the light switch. When she reached a corner, she felt herself step on something soft. "Ow." It was almost imperceptible, barely a whisper. Lauren cursed under her breath and dropped down to her knees. "Oh my god, Miguel, is that you?" She asked, fumbling in her sling bag for her phone, panic rising in her throat. She turned on the flashlight and focused it on the figure lying in a heap on the damp floor. The boy in the skeleton costume was hurt, much worse than she imagined; there was a bloody gash above his right eyebrow, his eye was punched in and swollen while blood trickled down his lower lip. His face and limbs were covered in bruises, with his damp hair sticking to his forehead.

"Are you okay? Oh, who am I kidding, you're not. You're the opposite of okay. Jeez, I can barely think." Lauren ranted to herself, panic getting the better of her. She didn't know whether he could stand or not, so she dragged him as gently as she could to the lockers and propped him up against them. "Where were you?" He asked, weakly. "You didn't answer my calls or texts. Did I do something wrong? Did I say something to offend you? If I did, I swear I didn't mean to, I'm sorry-" Lauren looked down, avoiding Miguel's gaze. He was apologizing for something that wasn't his fault. It was hers. "No! Don't apologize, it's not your fault. I'm sorry, I didn't see your texts. There was, uh, something, uh, something came up. At home. It was important, and I couldn't get out of doing it."

Miguel looked like he didn't believe her, but didn't question it. "You need to get home," Lauren said, washing away the blood from his face. He nodded. "How?" "I can call for a taxi, or ask Sam for a ride...even though I don't want to..." "There's no need for that!" The door slammed open and someone switched on the lights. "I'll drive him home." It was the man from the strip mall, Miguel's sensei. "Sensei, what are you doing here?" He asked, confused. "Shut up, Diaz. Get ready to face the heat." He said, roughly, as he picked Miguel up. "What do you mean?" Lauren asked. "My mom doesn't know I've been training with Sensei; she thinks I joined the debate team. She's going to hit the roof when she sees me like this!" "Will it help if I come along? I could explain everything to her if you want."

Twenty minutes later, she found herself in the passenger seat of Miguel's Sensei's car with the former sprawled at the back. They pulled up in front of a small, shabby apartment complex, with Lauren and Sensei pulling Miguel between them. Sensei took a deep breath as he rang the doorbell. "This is it, folks." The door was opened by a beautiful woman with dark curly hair and kind eyes, which widened in horror as she saw her limp son leaning on two strangers. "Miggy! What happened?" She screamed. As Sensei explained everything to Mrs Diaz, her lovely face grew cold and angry. She said something to him that Lauren couldn't decipher as she was standing a slight distance away, not wanting to disturb the adults. The man nodded, said something that Lauren guessed was an apology and walked into the house opposite Miguel's. "No! Cobra Kai never dies!" She heard Miguel shout as his Sensei disappeared into his house. Mrs Diaz was almost about to shut the door when she noticed a girl in a Halloween costume looking on anxiously. The second stranger who was with her son. "Who are you?" She asked, not unkindly, and Lauren watched her expression soften, but only a little.

"Mrs Diaz, I'm Lauren Wilson. I'm Miguel's friend from school." "It's Ms Diaz," she said softly, before adding, "Lauren Wilson? Are you the girl who helped Miggy that day at the mini-mall?" She nodded. "You two work out together in the mornings, don't you?" Lauren nodded again. Suddenly, the older woman lost her smile. "So you know karate too? Do you also train with that man?" "Yes, I know karate but-" Ms Diaz interrupted her. "Stay away from my son." "Ms Diaz, I don't train with that man!" Lauren protested, but it was too late. The door was slammed on her face and she just stood there, trying to register what had just happened.

"Here, hold this on your ribs." Lauren could hear through the door. She knew she shouldn't, but her feet wouldn't budge. " _Mijo_ , I need you to stay away from that girl Laura." "Mama, it's Lauren!" "Whatever her name is. Stay away from her, don't hang out with her anymore. No more karate!" "But-" "No buts. I'm not asking for your opinion. It's for your own good. You can always find more friends, who will no doubt be better than that Lauren girl." Tears soaked Lauren's cheeks without warning, as she ran out of the complex. She had lost her only friend in this crazy new world that she found herself stuck in, with no way out. She checked her phone. 10:20pm. No new messages or calls. Nobody needed her. She tried calling her friends back in Singapore but realised they would be fast asleep. She walked alone all the way to Encino, miserable. On the way, even her phone died, and she had no idea what the time was. By the time she got home, it was 11:05 pm. "LAUREN! WHERE WERE YOU? WE CALLED THE SCHOOL, THE DANCE ENDED AN HOUR AGO! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

"Sorry." She mumbled as she made her way to her room. Behind her, her parents kept yelling at her. She sighed. "Here we go again."


	7. Strike First

" _Mijo_ , I need you to stay away from that girl Laura." Carmen Diaz said, stroking Miguel's head. " _Mama_ , it's Lauren!" "Whatever her name is. Stay away from her, don't hang out with her anymore. No more karate!" Miguel's eyes narrowed in confusion as he opened his mouth in protest. Lauren was one of his only friends, the only one who had his back every time. "But-" "No buts. I'm not asking for your opinion. It's for your own good. You can always find more friends, who will no doubt be better than that Lauren girl." With that, his mother walked into the kitchen. Miguel heard a sniffle from outside the door, but it was barely audible. Lauren? Could she have heard everything? Miguel limped to the door and watched Lauren run out. "Lauren, wait!" He shouted, but she was already gone. That night, neither one of them slept. Miguel lay worried and guilt-ridden after what he saw. That girl never did anything but help him. And now she was out of his life, all because he couldn't defend himself against some bullies.

"I never did anything wrong, did I?" Lauren whispered to herself as she stared at the pitch dark ceiling above her. She couldn't get herself to accept that she'd lost her only friend here. She decided to talk to her old friends. Maybe Mia could get her mind off the terrible day she'd had. Mia picked up after a very long time, and Lauren was just about to disconnect. "Hey, how's it going?" Mia asked, cheerfully. "Wait, shouldn't you be asleep?" "Technically, yeah. But I can't sleep." "What's wrong?" Without hesitation, Lauren told her everything that had happened; from the first fight at the strip mall to the Halloween dance. Mia was seething. "That's terrible! Why would his mother say something like that?" Lauren shrugged. "It's okay, don't sweat it. If he's a nice guy, he'll come right over like nothing happened. If he isn't... well, let's not go there." After talking for half an hour, Mia's mom called her. "Okay, so I gotta go for karate. Talk later?" Lauren nodded and smiled. "Sure. Say hi to Sensei and the others for me." "Will do! It was so nice to see your face after so long; I miss you so much!" "Me too. Okay, now hurry."

Miguel didn't see Lauren again until Monday. He tried texting her all weekend, but she didn't respond. He didn't expect her to. On Monday, he went to sit next to her at English, as he always would, but she stopped him. "Sorry, this seat is taken." She said in a flat voice, not looking up to meet his eyes. "Oh, who's sitting here?" "Nobody." Miguel rolled his eyes and slid in next to her. "Miguel, don't." "Can we talk? At lunch?" "What's there to talk about?" "I know that you know. Lauren, please, I don't want to lose my best friend." "Okay, let's see."

* * *

"You heard what my mom said, didn't you?" Lauren nodded, looking like she was fighting back tears. "Why did you think I'd actually listen to her?" "I don't know." She mumbled, fidgeting with her braids. "Look, I'm sorry for whatever you heard. My mom didn't know what she was talking about. I told her that I could never not talk to you! Please, give me another chance?" Lauren looked at the taller boy, with his wide, beseeching eyes and his puppy dog expression. "It's not your fault, Miguel. I never blamed you." She said, softly. "So, we're good?" "I guess..." Before she could finish, she was swept into a bone-crushing hug that took her by surprise. "Alright, calm down, Diaz!" She laughed, pulling away.

"So, I was thinking, can we hang out this weekend?" Aisha Robinson asked. Lauren genuinely liked her, but she also felt bad for her because she often got bullied because of her figure. During the dance, Yasmine even posted a picture of her near the snack table, complete with a pig's nose. Ever since then, kids would call her 'Cheeto pig' behind her back and to her face. "Sure, what do you have in mind?" "My parents are going to be at the country club, and I thought it'd be great if you join us, with your family." Lauren smiled. "That sounds great." She looked over to the 'popular' table. "And maybe it's a good opportunity to rekindle your friendship with Sam?" Aisha frowned. She and Samantha had been inseparable since they were kids. But Sam was going through a popular phase, and ditched Aisha for the jerks. "I don't know about that." "Come on, you know you want to be friends with her again. Don't hold her to something as lame as those guys." Lauren prodded, as she hated seeing friendships break. She had enough experience with that to last a lifetime. "Okay, maybe I'll give it a shot. Hey Miguel! You wanna come with?" Aisha turned to Miguel, who wasn't listening, though. His eyes were fixed on Samantha LaRusso. Every blink of her eyes. Every twitch of her muscles. Every time she smiled at Kyler. Every time she flicked the hair out of her face while talking. He devoured it all with hungry eyes. Who was this goddess?

"Hey, lovestruck! Over here!" Lauren said, smacking him on the back of his head to get his attention. "Ow! What'd you do that for?" "Enjoying the view?" Aisha teased, watching Miguel blush uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, I just got distracted. It's just that, she's so beautiful, and, just everything about her is so perfect." Lauren gave him a look, and he focused back to what they were saying. "What were you saying?" Aisha let out an exasperated sigh and repeated her offer to Miguel. He was sceptical about the idea, but they managed to talk him into coming. Out of the blue, Miguel stood up and started walking towards Sam's table. "Where are you going?" "Striking first." Lauren put out an arm to stop him, to tell him that Sam already had someone. Kyler, to be exact. They were just sucking the life out of each other's faces five minutes ago. But she didn't warn him. Part of her didn't want to burst his little bubble.

She shrugged as he came back not long after, disappointed. "I could have said I told you so," Lauren muttered. "Huh?" "Nothing, just go back to eating."

* * *

Sam LaRusso   
  
Hey, r u free?   
  
Yeah, what's up?   
  
Did you know Kyler was such a bully?   
  
Um yeah. I did, actually.?   
  
Why didn't you tell me???   
  
I didn't want to be the new girl that ruins friendships...why what did he do?   
  
I saw him go after those three boys you're friends with...he said they're messing around but I don't believe him.   
  
Miguel, Demetri and Eli? When?   
  
In the library. But that's not all of it.   
  
What? There's more?   
  
We went to watch a movie, but he was just trying to touch me in the...you know, the whole time. I pushed him off, though   
  
OMG are you ok????   
  
Yep. I'm glad my dad taught me karate now.   
  
Haha yeah! Btw do you wanna hang out with us this weekend? At the country club?   
  
Who's us?   
  
Uh, Aisha, Miguel, and me?   
  
Oh cool, I'll be there.   
  
Yay! See you!   
  


Samantha buried her face into the pillows and cried. This was the first time she had her heart broken, and it hurt really bad. What hurt, even more, is why it happened. She looked up at the sound of her phone vibrating. Sure enough, it was them. Her former friends. This time, it was a picture of a girl with her mouth stuffed with sausages. With an arrow, it was labelled "Sam". She tried to ignore the tears filling her eyes. "I wonder what kind of rumour they've spread about me..."


	8. The Green Monster

"Woah this place is crazy!" Miguel looked around in awe as he followed Lauren and Aisha around the country club. The latter just shrugged. "It's no big deal, we come here all the time." "All the time? How can you- I mean, you're so lucky! Not I'm not- I meant-  
You know what I mean, right?" He lapsed into one of his signature rants, which happened when he was scared, or surprised, or happy. It was safe to say that he felt all three emotions in abundance today. "Lauren giggled at her friend's reaction; he'd probably never been to a fancy place like this one before. Honestly, she found it adorable when he got all worked up like this. She looked behind her when he suddenly went quiet. She found out why when she noticed someone coming her way. "Hey, LaRussos!" Aisha called out to them. "Hey Sam, how are you?" Lauren asked, hugging her. "I'm fine. Though I've been better." She smiled sadly. She cheered up soon enough when her mother said, "Introduce us to your friends, honey! You've been talking about them for so long, I began to doubt their existence!"

Everyone laughed. "Mom, Dad, this is Miguel. He's in our grade, too. And, you already know Aisha and Lauren."  
They shook hands, with Mrs LaRusso smiling wide at all of them. "Miguel, my parents, and my brother Anthony." Anthony LaRusso looked up for less than a second to say, "Sup," and got immersed in his video game again. Samantha rolled her eyes. "Don't mind him, he's always like that." "Have fun, kids! It was nice to meet you, Miguel. Enjoy yourself, sweetie!" Amanda LaRusso said before joining the other adults.

"So, you wanna take a swim?" Lauren asked Miguel, but he was busy gazing into Sam's eyes. Samantha seemed to be returning the favour, too. "Leave the lovebirds alone. You wanna get something to eat?" Aisha asked her, noticing Lauren's fading smile. "Uh, sure. Go ahead, I'll join you in a minute. I just have to use the bathroom." Aisha nodded. "Save some of that cheese for me!" Lauren called as she walked in the opposite direction.

For some reason, Lauren felt a pang of jealousy when she saw Sam and Miguel. Not that she had feelings for Miguel. Of course not. He was her best friend here, she almost loved him like a brother. It's just that all this while he had no one but her, but things changed pretty fast after he beat up Kyler and the whole gang in the cafeteria the other day, when they were picking on Sam. Now, it was like Miguel's world revolved around Sam, Sam and only Sam, and Lauren was left out of the loop. She violently shook the feeling away; jealousy was her biggest weakness after her temper, and she had paid the price for it many times before. Still, she couldn't help feeling like Miguel's 'use and throw' doll.

* * *

"Miguel, let's go for a swim!" Sam said, pulling him towards the pool. He agreed immediately, though he couldn't swim. He wasn't going to tell her that. The pool was full of rich people in pricey swimsuits, and almost all of them looked down their long noses at Miguel's plain orange swimming trunks. "Jeez, look at the Mexican's neon trunks! What junkyard did he pick it up from?" A voice said, and Miguel tried to shut them out. He looked at Sam beside him, but she was enjoying herself, oblivious to the comments. Someone even assumed he was a waiter who served pool snacks. "Hey, you! Yes, the Latino in the neon pants! Get me two glasses of champagne and another plate of oyster salad, make it quick. What are you staring at, go!" Every comment stung worse than the previous one. Miguel knew coming here was a bad decision, but he did it anyway for his friends. He knew he didn't fit in with the rich people, he was far from rich, but he didn't expect people to mock his appearance or ethnicity. He felt tears brimming but pushed them down. Sensei Lawrence said men never cry. A man who cries is weak. A pussy. A nerd, and a loser. Miguel didn't want to be any of those, anymore. His mom had allowed him to train again, and he was getting better and better. He looked around for Sam, but she was busy talking to someone he didn't know, looking gorgeous in her swimsuit as she put a strand of hair behind her ears while giggling about something, and he was terrified to approach her with all these strangers around.

Loser. Freak. Poor. The list kept going on and on, as it filled Miguel's head with the adjectives about himself. At this point, he just wanted to curl into a ball and disappear into a crack in the earth. He noticed Aisha near the buffet, but Lauren was nowhere to be seen. She was the one he needed most right now. "No, Lauren wouldn't understand either." "What wouldn't I understand?" He felt a tap on the shoulder and turned around to see Lauren standing there with her hands on her hips. He shook his head. "Nothing. As I said, you wouldn't understand. You've never been poor." "Then help me understand," That was all she said. Miguel told her everything, how they belittled him because he wasn't made of money, the racist names "Mexican" or "Spanish" or "Latino". He broke off into sobs every few seconds, but pushed them in, his whole body shaking with embarrassment and frustration. "Why won't anybody see me for who I am, and not what I am?" He cried, before sniffing and trying to hold it in. "I can't believe they'd do that to you!" Lauren said, every trace of jealousy melting away.

She was shaking too, but for a different reason. She was seeing red, and couldn't stand her friend being humiliated like this. "Don't cry, don't cry, don't be a weak loser." She heard Miguel mutter to himself. "Miguel. What was that?" "My Sensei says boys who cry are pussies, and losers. A man never cries, no matter how bad it is, and never shows weakness." What kind of Sensei teaches his students this kind of junk? "That is a fat load of nonsense! Don't bottle your emotions, it's not good." She said, pulling him into a hug. "It'll be okay, I'm right here with you." She said, into his shoulder as Miguel lost all control and bawled like a big baby in her arms. "It's okay, nobody gets to judge you like that. I know how great you really are, Aisha knows, Demetri, Eli, Sam; we all do. Don't let these rich snobs get you down. You're the best, Diaz, remember that. You're my favourite Mexican." He laughed at that and got his smile back after that pep talk. "Thanks a lot, Lauren. I needed that. And for the record, I'm from Ecuador." Lauren laughed. "You're still my favourite Mexican!"

"Miguel, where were you? I was looking all over for you! Come on, I'll show you the game room, you'll love it!" Miguel followed Sam without a second thought, like a lost puppy, and Lauren felt the green monster of envy grip her heart with cold, white rage.


	9. Young Love

Miguel and Samantha. Miguel and Samantha. Miguel and Samantha were the couple of the moment but hesitated to admit their feelings to each other. "Guys, I guess it's kinda obvious." Lauren casually commented one day, when they were at a cafe and Miguel insisted to pay for Sam. "What's obvious?" They asked, looking up from their sandwiches. "That you...and you...you know," Aisha said, moving the two sandwiches on her plate so close together that they squashed. Samantha blushed. Miguel shook his head rapidly in denial. "No, of course not! We- we're just friends, isn't that right, Sam?" "Y-yes, of course! Just friends, nothing more! You guys are just..." Her voice trailed off, trying to find a suitable word. Lauren rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure, just friends. Anyways, that's not my problem, you guys can stay this way forever. But I ship it, say what you want." The couple-but-not-couple blushed furiously and changed the topic to horror movies, which was random. "This just proves it," Aisha whispered to Lauren who just winked. Lauren drained her glass and stood up. "Guys, I'm going to get myself a brownie. Anyone want anything else?" "I'll have a chocolate croissant." Sam said and then asked, "What about you, Miguel?" "Yes what about you, lover boy?" "Um, I'll have the oatmeal cookies," he said as he checked his phone. "Or nevermind, I have to go anyway." "Where?" "Karate." Aisha stood up to go with him. "Hey, you know, you should come by our dojo someday. I'm pretty sure Sensei will love you!"

"Are you sure? I don't want to disturb the class or anything. I guess I'll stay here with Sam. We'll go watch a movie or something." Samantha gave her an apologetic look. "I have to go. My dad just texted, he wants help with something. I'm sorry." Lauren nodded. "Sure, that's okay." "So, now will you come?" "I guess I can come." They reached the dojo earlier than everyone else, and Miguel went in first. As Lauren looked around the place, with the giant snake on the logo, Cobra Kai, she tried to remember where she'd heard the name. "Sensei, this is my friend Lauren Wilson. Lauren, this is Sensei Lawrence" Miguel was saying to the blonde man from the other day. Today, he was clean-shaven and dressed in a black gi with a black headband. "Are you looking to join Cobra Kai?" He asked. "Oh, uh, no. Not really. I already know karate, I learned it before I moved. I still practice every morning, though. My friends here asked me to come along." "Come along and do what? This isn't a daycare." He asked, rudely. "Sensei, calm down. Maybe she can just hang around and watch the class or something. Or spar with someone, if she wants to, that is." Aisha suggested.

"Okay, let's see what you got. Can you take on the champ? Mr, Diaz, up front!" Miguel hesitated but stepped onto the mat. "Actually, I was wondering if I could spar with you," Lauren said to Mr Lawrence. Everyone in the room looked utterly appalled. "You wanna spar with me, kid? Are you sure you won't cry afterwards?" He asked teasingly. "Lauren, please don't do this-" Miguel started to say, but Lauren put out her hand to stop him. She took off her shoes and bowed to Sensei Lawrence. "Even if you do kick my butt, at least I'll learn something." Sensei Lawrence nodded. This kid had spunk. "Alright, bring it on." He bowed to her and took his position. Lauren shifted her stance to her back leg, her hands out in a defensive position, waiting for the opponent to strike. For a minute, neither moved a muscle. All of a sudden, Mr Lawrence roared and attempted a neck chop. Lauren dodged and kneed him in the abdomen. He jumped back up and threw a roundhouse to her face. Lauren blocked it successfully, but the kick was so powerful that it hurt her arm. She winced, gritted her teeth, and punched him in the nose. He blocked it with ease, pretended to punch her in the stomach, so when she attempted to block that, he swept her to the ground. "You're good, kid." He said, holding out a hand to pull her up. Lauren took his hand, pulled herself up and tripped him while doing so, and pinned him to the floor. "Thanks, you too." She smirked.

By now, almost all the other students had arrived, and their jaws dropped when they saw some girl pinning their Sensei to the ground. "What the hell was that?" He asked. "Looking at the stuff you've got on the wall, I figured this was a must," Lauren said simply, referring to the black words painted on the wall: Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy. He smiled at that and got up. "You're a tough one. I'm Johnny Lawrence, now I see why Diaz keeps talking about you." He held out his hand and Lauren shook it. The colour rushed up to her cheeks when she heard what Johnny just said. Miguel talks about her all the time? She didn't even know why she felt that way. Don't friends talk about each other all the time? "Sensei-" Miguel began to say, but Johnny kept talking. "But I guess he needs glasses. You don't have blue eyes." That's when her bubble burst. He didn't talk about her all the time, it was Sam. Duh. Why would he talk about her?

Lauren stepped off the mat to see lots of kids from her school looking at her like she was Wonder Woman or something. She stuck around for the rest of the class, watching Miguel lead the warm-up. The way he knit his eyebrows together when he was focusing, or the little frown on his face when Mr Lawrence was explaining something, or the light smirk whenever he did something right; Lauren didn't miss a thing. It was like she couldn't take her eyes off him. She forcefully tore herself away from him and watched Aisha break boards with ease, while Eli, who was now the badass Hawk, complete with a Mohawk and tattoo, looked like he wanted to kill the punching bag.

Every once in a while, Miguel would look towards her and mouth, "Are you bored?" And Lauren would reply in the negative. Or after a particularly impressive move, he'd look to her for praise. Just then, her phone chimed with a text from Sam.

Sam LaRusso   
  
Do you think I should tell Miguel how I feel or wait for him to ask me out?   
  


Of course, Miguel and Sam were meant to be together. The whole school thought they were a thing, except them, of course. Lauren immediately began giving Sam relationship advice. Of course, she'd want her best friend to be happy.

  
That's right. Best friend. Nothing more, nothing less.


	10. How Do You Really Feel?

So much happened in the last few weeks. Miguel and Sam went on a date to Golf N' Stuff, now they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Cobra Kai got registered for the All Valley Karate Tournament that was taking place in the summer. She had registered too, but fighting on behalf of her dojo back in Singapore. Lauren was genuinely happy for Miguel, but a little feeling constantly nagged her, and she didn't even know what that was. Was she jealous? Was she angry? If so, with whom? All these thoughts crowded her brain as she furiously dropped down to the ground on her knuckles, again and again, and again.

"Woah, Lauren, how many pushups are you going to do? We already did two sets of fifty each." Miguel's voice brought her back to the real world. "Oh, I didn't realize it. Anyway, are we still on for the movie today?" "Yeah, sure- Oh no, I forgot I had a date today. I'm so sorry, Lauren. I really am." Sam again. She was stealing Miguel from her, and Lauren didn't like it. She didn't like Miguel in any other way than as friends, but he was her closest friend. Her brother, even. These days, Mia and the others barely spoke to her. Time difference.

"Lauren?" She looked up to see Miguel still staring at her with an apologetic look. "Yeah, ok, whatever." She looked away and began doodling in the sand, the morning sun shining a soft orange. "Are you mad at me?" "No." "Are you sure?" "No." "Lauren, I'm sorry, okay? But you can't expect me to ignore my girlfriend!" Lauren raised her eyebrows. "I don't. You know that I don't. It's just, this has been happening way too often. You guys have been going out practically every day for the last two months." "Yeah, so?" "So, I don't like you blowing off plans we made months ago for plans you made with Sam a few days ago." "It's just a movie, let it go! We'll watch it tomorrow, okay?" Miguel stood up, losing his temper.

Lauren exhaled shakily. She couldn't let her temper ruin this as well. She clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into the skin of her palms and it stung. "Look, I don't want to fight. I just want to spend time with you like we used to. I'm sorry." Miguel lost the anger in his eyes, looking surprised. Lauren never backed out of an argument. "I don't want to fight, either. I'm sorry I've been cancelling our plans but I haven't been doing it just for fun." "What do you mean?" "My mom invited Sam to dinner last week," Lauren nodded. She was there too. "But I haven't been invited over yet. She was acting weird when her dad came into her room the other day, when we were chatting. She said she was talking to 'nobody, just her lab partner.' I don't know why I feel this way, but, does she want to break up with me or something?" "Oh boy, you don't know, do you?" "What?" In short, Lauren explained the rivalry between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence.

"So her dad hates me?" "He doesn't hate you, but he might." Miguel rolled his eyes. "That's not helping." "Just- talk to her, okay? She'll understand. You know what, I'll put in a good word for you to Mr LaRusso without mentioning that you're in Cobra Kai, at the family dinner thing tomorrow. Don't worry, it'll be fine. Mr LaRusso is a nice guy, he'll love you." Miguel didn't look convinced. "That's what Aisha told me, but what if he doesn't?" "Don't sweat it, Diaz. Just go enjoy your date." "Thanks, you're the best." Her heart somersaulted whenever he said something like that. She didn't know why. He smiled in his usual tight-lipped manner, with his eyes crinkled at the sides.

As she watched him ride his bike back home, with his dark hair sticking out from between his helmet, his shirt billowing in the breeze as he muttered to himself all the things he had left to do that day. "Damn, just how much do you love him?" She turned to see Hawk, walking up to her covered in sweat, with Moon in tow. "I- I don't!" She protested, her cheeks burning. "Yeah, sure, and I don't love Moon." He said, leaning in for a very, very passionate kiss with the fancy brunette beside him. "Wow, when did that happen?" Moon, who had now detached herself from Yasmine, spoke up. "I'm not sure, but we bumped into each other at the mall, and it just felt right."

"Ew, you guys are straight out of some romance novel!" Hawk guffawed loudly before saying, "Oh well, enough about us. When are you going to admit to yourself that you like Miguel?" "I don't! I just told you that!" "Be honest with yourself. Don't stifle your feelings for him because he's with Sam." "That's exactly why I don't want to like him! Just imagine how unfair that'd be to Sam." "Yeah, that's true, but just be honest about how you feel. I'm not saying you have to break them up or anything; just know how you feel. You can't lie to yourself forever." "Thanks, Eli." "It's Hawk." "Whatever."

* * *

"You go ahead, I have to go to the bathroom." Lauren made her way through the dark theatre to their seats; popcorn, nachos and lots of chocolate in hand, "Hey, your dress. It's hot." Lauren looked to her left to see an older boy with tattoos all over his arms and neck, pierced ears and eyebrows staring at her. She looked down at her denim romper, which suddenly felt a bit too short. "Thanks?" She said, turning her attention to her popcorn. The movie hadn't begun just yet, just commercials and trailers. He tried to run his fingers through her hair, but she flicked his hand away. "Please don't." "Ooh, the chick's got a temper!" He said, in a mock-scared voice. "Do you wanna go out with me, girl?" "No." "But why? You're beautiful. I want you."

Lauren shuddered, her discomfort slowly turning into fear. The young man was persistent and wouldn't let her go. He grabbed her arm to try and get her to sit on his lap, but she twisted it out of her grip. "I said, stop!" "Do you have a boyfriend? If you do, I'll gladly back off." Lauren swallowed. She wanted to beat this guy up so bad, that he wouldn't ever think of looking at another girl ever again. "Do you have a boyfriend?" "Uh..." "Yes, I'm her boyfriend. Back off, dude." Lauren felt someone grab her by the waist and pull her sharply towards them. "Miguel, what are you-" He smashed his lips down on hers, and she returned the favour after she recovered from her shock. It felt good, really really good.

"Uh, I'm sorry. Enjoy the movie." The man apologized and awkwardly shifted a few seats away, as most of the theatre was empty for some reason. "I'm sorry I'm late. I think I had some expired corn salad at school yesterday. That chode didn't hurt you or anything, did he?" "You think he could have? But seriously, thank you so, so much." "Hey, anything for you. But I'm sorry about the way I did it. I wasn't thinking, I just wanted him to get off you." Lauren laughed. "That's fine. I don't think he would have backed off if you tried something else." Miguel put his arm around her, and Lauren rested her head on his shoulder. Nothing could beat what she was feeling now. "Wait, did I just cheat on Sam?" "Are you kidding me? Of course not! You were just helping me out. Besides, you're like my brother or something." "Yeah, I guess you're right. I did what I needed to do to get that idiot to back off. And Sam doesn't need to know, does she?" "Considering that nothing happened, I don't think she'd say anything. But if you think she won't take it well, don't tell her." "I love you, Lauren." "I love you too, Miguel."

When are you going to admit that you like Miguel? You can't lie to yourself forever.

Lauren shut her eyes. She knew. She finally knew. She liked him. She stared at the boy sitting next to her, utterly engrossed in the movie while chowing down snacks. She felt her head lighten like she had nothing to worry about. Like everything was perfect when she was with Miguel Diaz. He was perfect. She didn't realize that she'd been staring at him with shining eyes, and a smile that only he could bring to her face, her head tilted slightly to the side. Miguel felt her gaze on him and turned to face her. "What's wrong?" "Oh. Nothing, nothing at all. Everything's just great. Perfect. Never better." She sighed and turned towards the screen. She found herself singing under her breath, to Not In The Same Way by 5 Seconds of Summer.

_Drink all night, never sleep,_   
_You say 'go', I won't leave,_   
_I love you, you love me, but not in the same way._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my favourite chapter so far! MiguelxLauren is coming sooner than you think. What's a good ship name for them? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading <3


	11. How Much You Meant To Me

"Lauren? Wake up, honey." Lauren grunted and turned over to the other side, pulling the covers over her to block out the sunlight. "Are you feeling okay? It's 7:30, you'll be late for school." "Mm." She sat up and looked around, confused. "Lauren, do you feel sick or something? You can stay home if you do." "No, I'm fine. I guess I just overslept." "Are you sure? You didn't even turn on the fan last night. You always need the fan, even in winters." Lauren shivered. It was getting quite cold in December. "Oh, I don't even remember falling asleep. I was so tired last night." She took a big gulp of water when she felt her throat hurt every time she swallowed. It's just a sore throat. I'm fine.  
"Are you sure you're okay?" Lauren laughed. "Mom, stop worrying! I'm fine!" "Sorry, it's just that you've been looking very tired for the past few days. But I'll take your word for it. Quick, go brush and take a shower, the water's nice and hot. I'll get your breakfast ready by then." "Thanks, Mom." "That's okay, baby." Mrs Wilson kissed her forehead and left the room. "Don't lie down again!" She called from the hallway. Lauren whined and dragged herself into the bathroom. Better late than never, right?

She still felt cold as she pulled on her warmest hoodie; a dark green Slytherin hoodie that her dad bought from London. She paired it with white jeans and a random pair of Adidas sneakers. Her cheeks were burning up as she waited for Sam to pull up near the bus stop. In a month, she'd have her own license and wouldn't have to rely on Sam to take her everywhere. Samantha LaRusso looked like she'd been crying as she unlocked the doors for Lauren to get in. "Hey, what's wrong?" "I probably shouldn't be jumping to conclusions before talking to Miguel, but Moon told me something yesterday." "What?" "She was at the movie theatre last night and she said that she saw Miguel kiss you. We had a huge fight about it afterwards." Lauren gasped sharply. She didn't even see Moon over there, and the theatre was half empty. She definitely would have seen her. "Is it true, Lauren? Did you kiss my boyfriend?" Lauren cleared her throat, trying to find a sane way to justify the incident. "I would be lying if I said it didn't happen..." Sam looked at her in shock. "But, wait! Hear me out. There was this creepy guy right next to me, who kept trying to flirt with me and it got to a point where I got really uncomfortable. He kept asking if I had a boyfriend, so that's when Miguel stepped in and claimed to be my boyfriend. I had no idea he had even come back from the bathroom. And well, to prove his point, he kissed me in front of the guy. But Sam, he would never hurt you. The minute we sat down after everything, the first thing he asked me was, 'Did I just cheat on Sam?' I'm sorry it turned out that way, but it's not his fault. He would die for you. If anyone, blame me."

Samantha looked thoughtful for a while before her expression relaxed, and she said, "Really?" "Really. I've never seen anybody love someone the way Miguel loves you." And the way I love him, she thought, wistfully. Sam cheered up. "I know. I love him so much, too. I'm just scared that my dad will hate him because of the stupid rivalry he had with Cobra Kai when he was in high school.

"You should tell him. Get him to meet Miguel. He'll come around. I'll be there if you want." Sam gave her a grateful smile. "We might not have known each other for long, but you're one of the only true friends I've had." "That's sweet, but save the cheesiness for when you see Miguel. Speaking of which, there he is!" The boy was dejectedly locking his bike before walking to the school building. The two girls got out of the car and ran to him. "Miguel!" Sam called as she approached him. Lauren hung back a bit and rummaged in her locker nearby, not wanting to disturb them as they talked it out. "Sam, hey, I'm so, so, so sorry about yesterday. You need to know that I'd never do something like that on purpose. I don't even like Lauren as more than a friend. I swear. There's only and only one person I love more than I can tell. You. I'm sorry, please give me a second chance."

"Are you done? Gosh, you tend to get so worked up!" Sam laughed as she kissed his cheek.  
"You're- you're not upset?" "Not even a little bit. Lauren told me everything in the car this morning, and I don't blame either of you for what happened. It's okay." Miguel smiled, oh so wide, as he gently leaned in to kiss the beautiful blue-eyed brunette. "I could never love her more than you," he said, pulling away.

Lauren heard everything from behind her locker's door. The words stung as they reached her ears, and burned their way into her mind. Every part of her felt numb, as the previous night felt like nothing but a distant dream. When he told her he loved her. Not in a romantic way, but he still did. Or so he claimed. Maybe it was just that moment that they were alone, that the words slipped out. He never meant them, and he never would. He was as happy as he could be, with Sam. Sam had the only thing she ever wanted.

Lauren had never been successful with relationships before. All her crushes turned out to be either jerks or broke her heart so badly that she was scared of letting herself go again.  
She forced herself against having feelings for boys, but here she was again. The only thing she could feel was hot tears running down her cheeks. She didn't even hear the bell ring until she noticed the mad rush in the hallways. Jealousy threatened to make an appearance again, but she pushed it down. Don't ruin what you still have, she told herself firmly as she rested her throbbing head on the desk, trying her hardest not to shut her eyes.

  
(Later that day)  
"That little bitch!" Aisha snapped as she scrolled through her phone. Miguel and Lauren, who were sitting next to her on the park bench were startled. "What's wrong?" Miguel asked, leaning over. "Do you remember that video I posted of me breaking those boards?" They nodded. "Look what Yasmine commented. She handed them her phone, and Lauren let out an exasperated sigh.  
Impressive...I'm surprised the belt even made it around your waist.

"I can't believe her!" Miguel said, returning her phone. "Guys, Yasmine's throwing a birthday party at the Canyon later today," Hawk said, scrolling through his Instagram. Aisha smirked. "Not if we strike first."

* * *

Sam LaRusso   
  
6:12 PM   
Hey, so is Miguel mad @me?   
  
He's not with me rn, but why would he be?   
  
He tried calling many times but my mom took my phone away.   
  
But whyyy??   
  
Long story. I'll tell u later. But just tell him that I'm not doing this on purpose. I don't want to lose him.   
  
Ok. Don't worry he won't let you go so easily ;)   
  
Thanks <3   
  
No problem :)

"Hey, who are you texting?" "Oh, nobody. Just a friend from Singapore." "Isn't it really late over there?" "Yeah, yeah it is. But she can't sleep. That's why she texted." "Oh. Also, would you believe it, Hawk's fake ID worked!" "Miguel, no way!" "I'm not kidding!" "Well, that's great for you guys, I guess. But I don't drink." "Okay, I'll pick up some sodas and stuff for you. If you don't want to drink, I won't force you." "Thanks." She wanted to give him Sam's message, but she just couldn't bring herself to tell him. After talking to him, she realised he was mad at her. More hurt than mad, honestly, but still.

They reached the Canyon just as a jeep pulled up with Yasmine, Kyler and a few others getting out of it. As the former spotted the Cobra Kais there, she strutted over to confront them. Lauren was in no mood to hear Yasmine's rant, so she settled herself a little distance away. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but it ended with Aisha giving her a front wedgie. She deserved it. As the sun set into the horizon, Lauren noticed Miguel drinking furiously. "Miguel! Stop! What's wrong with you?" "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me is that my girlfriend won't even answer my damn texts! Forget calling me back!" He shouted, throwing a can down so hard that she jumped. This was because of her. "Woah, relax. She didn't pick up because...maybe she's busy? Don't worry, she'll come around." She still couldn't bring herself to tell him something as simple as 'her mom took her phone away, but she'll call you as soon as she can.' She just couldn't. She watched in terror as Miguel was dangerously drunk, and wouldn't listen to anyone, not even her. "Miguel, you aren't thinking! Why the heck would Sam ignore you?" This is it, she thought. I'm telling him, right now. "She's not doing it on purpose, it's just that her mom-"

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up for once! You don't have to come up with an explanation for everything, just because Sam's your friend!" He shouted, shoving her to the ground. Hard. Lauren was woozy since morning, so she couldn't react fast enough. Her head hurt, and her eyes burned, filling up with tears every once in a while. Her throat hurt too, stinging every time she swallowed or tried to speak. Everything around her would spin and suddenly stop, while she felt like it was freezing cold and scorching at the same time. "Sam got her phone taken away, and that's why she couldn't reply to your calls and texts! So stop overreacting and drinking to soothe yourself. Firstly, you're underage! And I don't even know why you're being so aggressive! It's a party, so have fun for god's sake!" She yelled, struggling to get up in the orange streaked sand.

"JUST STOP DEFENDING YOUR GODDAMN FRIEND! HAVE YOU EVER TRIED THINKING FROM MY POINT OF VIEW??? FOR ALL I KNOW, SHE COULD BE SEEING ANOTHER GUY RIGHT THIS SECOND, WHILE YOU DEFEND HER BECAUSE SHE'S YOUR FRIEND. WHAT ABOUT ME? I'M HER BOYFRIEND, AND I SHOULD KNOW WHERE SHE IS! I DON'T CARE IF YOU GUYS ARE FRIENDS, SO JUST STOP COVERING UP HER ACT!" Miguel bellowed, beside himself with rage. He practically spat out the word friend each time. The alcohol didn't help much either, clouding his normally fair judgement.  
Lauren flinched at her friend's outburst, never having seen him like this before. But she stood her ground. "You have a problem with me being her friend? Aren't you my friend, too? Stop for a second to think about what you just said, because you got it all wrong. Why would I defend Sam from you? No, answer me! Why would I? You're my best friend, Miguel Diaz, it's YOU! So stop shouting like a drunk moron and use your brains!" She screamed, tears burning through her eyes though she wasn't crying. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD-" Her voice cracked as she felt a searing pain in her throat. She sunk to her knees as she desperately clutched the nearest thing to her, Miguel's jeans, to steady herself till the world stopped spinning. Her ears blocked up, as the spinning mess of a beach slowly settled down. Suddenly, Miguel jerked her off him and ran in the opposite direction. She strained to see what he was running towards, or from, just to see Sam get out of her car arm in arm with another boy. What was his name again? Bobby Keene? No, not Bobby. Robby Keene. He was the new kid who just started working at the LaRusso dealership, and was Mr LaRusso's second student, after Sam.

There seemed to be heated words exchanged, as Miguel angrily shoved Robby, who got back up just as angrily and got into a fighting position. She saw Miguel try to hit him, but Sam put herself between them and got knocked down. Lauren tried her best to run to them, but it was too late. "Sam, I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to hit you..." Miguel apologized, sobering up quite a bit. "You shouldn't have been trying to hit anyone!" She screamed, livid. "My dad was right about Cobra Kai. Good luck at the tournament. I won't be there!" She collapsed into Lauren's arms and cried her eyes out. "I'm sorry, Sam. I told him, I did." "I know you did. I just don't know why he got so mad at seeing Robby. He's the one that bailed me out of my house so I could come here! Where's the sweet Miguel I loved?" She sobbed, and Miguel stood behind them, feeling guilty. "Sam-" "Get out of here, Miguel. Go drink ten more cans of beer, go on! Just go anywhere but here!" Lauren said coldly, glaring at the boy who she thought was her best friend, whom she loved with all her heart, in every way possible. Here it was again, the moment of truth when who she thought was 'the one' turned out not to be worth it. She cleared her head quickly. Sam needed her now.

"Thanks, Lauren, but I gotta go now. Robby still needs a ride home." "I'll see you tomorrow. I'm sorry about him." Sam gave her a sad smile as she got into the car. As she watched the white car get smaller and smaller till it disappeared, she felt a cold hand on her arm. "Lauren, I'm sorry. Just hear me out." "Shut up, Miguel. Don't touch me. Get away from me. Besides, it's Sam you need to apologise to." "No, you too. I shouldn't have spoken to you that way, let alone push you." He looked at her beseechingly, but the girl remained unmoved. Suddenly, she lost her balance and fell to the ground, too weak to stand. She hadn't eaten or drank anything the whole evening, in fear of hurting her throat. She struggled to stand, but she couldn't, the pain was everywhere. It was freezing through her sweatshirt as her feet sank into the sand. Her eyes watered furiously, as she vomited everything she'd eaten that day all over the sand. Miguel rushed to her and picked her up gently. She didn't even protest. "Hey, are you okay? What can I get for you?" He asked, her condition scaring him. "Hey, Hawk, throw my water bottle here, quick!" He shouted as the other boy obliged. "Here, have some water. You'll feel better." "My throat. It hurts." She said, feebly. "My eyes are burning and it's freezing out here." "You'll be okay, just hold on." He said reassuringly, as he grabbed the keys to Hawk's car. "I'll be back!" He announced as he helped her to the car. "Hey, do you want to lie down in the back?" "No, I can sit."

They drove most of the way to Encino without a word. Then Lauren spoke up. "Miguel, thank you." "You don't have to thank me. And I'm sorry for everything. I don't know what came over me." "Do you want to talk about Sam?" "Not today. Now, let's get you home. My love life can wait." Just like that, the friendship she thought she'd lost rekindled in an instant, and she felt herself blush underneath all the heat her body already had.

_This feels right._


	12. Change

The next week was rough at West Valley High. Tensions were running high as the All Valley Tournament was edging closer and closer. Moreover, Miguel and Sam's breakup harmed both of them, especially the former. With Lauren away as she was sick, there was nobody to calm down the growing aggression of Cobra Kai's star pupil. He picked fights wherever he went, joined Hawk in bullying kids for no reason, with nobody to question his actions. Occasionally, Aisha would try to talk him out of it, but he listened to no one. He had taken Cobra Kai's motto to heart by now: Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy. The one thing that stayed the same was his friendship with Lauren. She refused to play messenger between Miguel and Sam and stayed friends with both of them. "Look, what happened between you guys had nothing to do with me. You're both my friends, and I'm not taking sides." However, she was oblivious to Miguel's new activities at school while she was sick. Finally, after a long week, she walked through the doors of the building, looking around for her friends. She was approached by lots of people who asked how she was feeling and offered to share their notes from all the classes she had missed. Most of these people weren't even close to her, just acquaintances in her various classes. It felt good to be popular, to be liked by everyone. Not popular like Yasmine, of course. She still reeled at the thought of that girl. Sam and Lauren parted ways after the first bell, and she made her way to class and dumped her bag next to Miguel. He turned towards her, surprised, and his immediate reflex was to hold up his hands in a defensive position. As soon as he saw Lauren, he relaxed and his eyes lit up.

"Lauren! You're finally here!" She smiled. "Yep, here I am!" "How are you feeling?" "I'm fine now, thanks."

During lunch, a freshman tried to politely get Hawk out of occupying his seat in the cafeteria, when he had gone to refill his plate. Hawk, being Hawk, grabbed him by the collar and yelled, "Yes I took your seat! You got a problem with that, kid?" "N-no, I was j-just saying that you were in m-my seat..." The poor kid stuttered. "I sit wherever I want, so just go find yourself another seat!" "But..." "What? You've got something to say to him?" Miguel jumped in, violently knocking the kid's tray to the ground. "No, I'm- I'm sorry." "You still want your seat back? Here!" Hawk shoved his back into the chair so hard that he fell over. "Dude! I didn't do anything to you! What's your problem?" "What's our problem? What's your problem, man?" Miguel shouted, punching him in the stomach. "MIGUEL! HAWK! WHAT THE HECK?" Lauren came up beside them, at a loss of how to react. Miguel wasn't a bully; what was wrong with him these days?

"What's going on? This is a cafeteria, you know." "This punk dared to question us. We sit wherever we want." "I was just asking for my seat back." The kid said, holding a tissue to his bloody nose. Lauren scoffed, not knowing whether to burst out laughing or slap each one of them across the face. "This is unbelievable. You guys are acting like immature kids, you're in high school, remember? Grow. Up." She turned to Miguel and Hawk. "Why did you want to take his seat? Even if he did ask you to move, you could have shifted to another damn table! There are so many empty ones, are you blind?" "And you, couldn't you have moved to another table? I'm not saying it's your fault, but why go pick a fight with these bullies? Sheesh, just back out and let them be." "But he started it!" Miguel said, like an adamant child. "So I expect you to end it! You're two years older, not five years younger. You guys are... I don't even have the words, to be honest." She rolled her eyes and sat down next to Sam and Aisha.

"Hey, Lauren, are we good?" Miguel slid into the seat next to her. "Yeah, I suppose. But why were you picking on the kid just because he wanted his seat back?" "Oh, no, Hawk sat on his seat." "So why were you beating him up?" "Helping Hawk out, duh." "He's not the one that needed help!" "Cobra Kai for life, always." "What has gotten into you? Don't you remember when Kyler used to beat you up?" "Yeah, so I'm not that loser anymore. I'm badass, and I'm proving it." "By picking on a kid?" "Why are you so bothered about him?" "Never mind. Leave it alone."

* * *

Christmas came and went, with everyone looking forward to the tournament in March. Miguel and Lauren trained together every morning as usual. "Nice, now try to anticipate my move and get me on the ground." Lauren always had a word of advice for Miguel. Even though he was a great fighter now, Lauren was much more experienced and taught him moves she learnt from her Sensei, which wasn't a part of Johnny Lawrence's style of karate. She would drop by the dojo often now, and Johnny didn't mind. Of course, she didn't dare tell Miguel that Robby Keene was his son. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she ran into Daniel comforting Robby about his parents at the LaRusso residence. It wasn't her secret to tell, so she kept it to herself.

"Hey, are you competing at the All Valley?" Johnny asked one day, as she joined him and Miguel for burgers. She had hesitated at first but Miguel managed to persuade her to come along. "I am. I can't wait." "Yeah, we've been training together every morning," Miguel added, before taking a big sip of his soda. "Well, don't expect Diaz to go easy on you just because you're close." "I won't go easy on him, Mr Lawrence." "Whatever happens, it'll be an interesting match. I just hope we won't have to fight each other." "Yeah, me too."

From then on, both of them trained for longer than usual in the crisp February mornings. They fought each other with ferocity but then lay on each other laughing at the end of the day. It was all good. Except for one tiny catch. Lauren's feelings for Miguel grew by the day, but she could never bring herself to admit it to him. Their relationship was the exact definition of platonic, and she didn't want to lose that. But she couldn't live with herself if she didn't tell him, either.

"Okay, so now you step in, grab my shoulder and use it to push me down. Then take advantage of my exposed body and go for the ribs, throat or ear. Remember, this is only for extreme situations. If you use this in the tournament, let the opponent go after knocking them down. Don't attack further than that. You'll get your two points. Understood?" Lauren demonstrated the move and then asked Miguel to try it. He nodded intently, absorbing every word. He executed it fairly well, and it knocked the wind out of Lauren, literally. She gasped for breath due to the impact of the fall. After a minute, she regained her composure. "Wow, that was great!" Miguel pulled her up. "Thanks, I love this move." "DON'T use the second half of it unless your life depends on it. Promise?" The reason she reminded him of this so many times was that she was worried that the new, aggressive Miguel would end up hurting someone seriously for some trivial reason. "I promise, Sensei Lauren."


	13. Good Luck

The morning of the All Valley dawned bright and clear. Miguel woke up late as they weren't training on the day of the tournament, and it didn't start till 4 pm. He checked his phone to find it flooded with good luck messages from all of his friends and then saw Lauren's texts. He refused to admit it, but every minute they spent together felt like the best moment of his life. He was terrified of admitting it to himself, and couldn't even think of telling her. What if she didn't feel the same way? Their friendship would never be the same. So many things could go wrong. He dismissed those thoughts as he opened her messages.

Lauren <3   
**Today** 8:15 AM   
Hey, r u up yet?   
  
Good luck for today btw   
  
oh, also can we talk?   
  
Miguel???????   
  
it's important!!!   
  
call me when you see this, pleeeaase   
  


What could she possibly want to talk about on the day of the tournament? He called her immediately, and she picked up almost instantly. "Hello? Is everything okay?" "Oh, finally! Good morning, Sleeping Beauty!" "What did you want to talk about?" "Oh, about that..." There was an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. "Lauren?" "Oh, yeah, I'm here. Um..." On the other side, Lauren bit her lip. This is the moment you've been preparing for since forever... _Say it, Lauren! Tell him you like him!_ "I...uh...I just wanted to say that, uh," "Yeah?" _SAY IT!_ She fought with herself on whether this was the right time to broach the subject, considering the tournament and everything. "I just wanted to say...I like...so um, whatever goes down today, we'll be okay, right?" _Way to go, Lauren. You lost the one opportunity you had. Great job._ She scolded herself as she smacked her palm onto her face. 

"Yeah! Whatever happens today, it won't come between us. I'm still hoping we won't have to face off, though." "Yeah, me too. Good luck, Miguel. I know you'll kill it today." "Thanks, you'll do great as well. So, I'll see you there?" "Yep, see you." "Okay, bye..." "Bye- wait! Wait, I really have to ask you something." Do it now. Now or never. "What is it?" "Will you...no, do you- Uh, you're my best friend, right?" I can't do it. Not now. I'll tell him someday, eventually.

Miguel was surprised at her question. They never asked each other things like that. "Yeah, I'm you're best friend. And you're mine. Always." He hung up, confused, but decided not to worry about it and focus on the tournament instead.

* * *

"Not yet. There's one more lesson I have to teach you." All the Cobra Kais stood around their Sensei. "I've taught you all to strike first, to strike hard and put every ounce of power into everything you do. But I haven't taught you the third rule of Cobra Kai. No Mercy. We do not train to be merciful. We do whatever it takes to keep moving forward, whatever it takes to keep our heads above water. Life shows no mercy, so neither do we. Now get in there and show everyone what Cobra Kai is about." "COBRA KAI!" Miguel shouted, and the rest of the team cheered loudly.

"Good luck, Lauren. Remember, be cool. Don't let the opponent get you agitated. The moment you lose your composure, you've lost the match. And stop attacking immediately after you score a point. This is a friendly match, you aren't here to hurt your opponent. Use your head, and don't let your emotions take control. You'll do well, I know it." "Thank you, Sensei. I needed that." "Now go show them what you're made of!" Lauren hung up. Calling her Sensei was the best decision ever. It was too bad that he couldn't be here. "Ready?" Sam asked, gesturing towards the entrance. "Yep, let's do this!"

* * *

"Welcome, everyone, to the 50th Annual All Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament! Let's begin by welcoming all the dojos competing today!" The announcer called out the names of all the local dojos, some of them Lauren had never heard of before. She waited with bated breath for her name to be called before she could make an entrance. "...and returning to the tournament, from Reseda, we have-" he was interrupted by a distant chanting that grew louder and louder. "Cobra Kai, Cobra Kai, Cobra Kai, Cobra Kai, Cobra Kai, HAI!" They jogged into the arena, clad in black and yellow gis, their eyes lit with a dangerous fire that clearly said, "Back off, or I'll make you." The line was led by Miguel and Johnny Lawrence walked behind his students as they stood in a line on the mat. "Fighting solo, representing Shorin Ryu Karate Dojo from Singapore, is Ms. Lauren Wilson!" Lauren jogged onto the mat and bowed. She snuck a quick look at Miguel, confidently standing there in his black gi, his eyebrows knit together with a determination she had never seen before. He turned his head just a little to meet her eyes, and Lauren flashed a quick smile at him. He didn't return it, just continued to stare at her with the same stolid expression. Seeing him all set to fight did something to her that she couldn't describe, but she forced herself to concentrate. 

"And finally, fighting unaffiliated from North Hills, is Mr. Robby Keene!" She looked over to where Sam and her family were seated, in the front row. A look of pure confusion was evident on Daniel LaRusso's face. He had a huge falling out with Robby on discovering that he was none other than Johnny Lawrence's son, and forbade him to ever come to his house or the dealership again. Lauren felt bad for Robby Keene, it wasn't his fault. Yet, he was caught up in this stupid childhood rivalry between his father and his mentor. Robby bowed to the audience and smiled at Lauren. Lauren smiled back and whispered, "Good luck," "You too."

The first round was fairly easy. Lauren was against some guy called Miles Gordon from Topanga Karate. The guy was so nervous, that it barely took a few moves to get him worked up. From there, it was a piece of cake. The referee grabbed her hand and lifted it. "Winner!" She watched as a few mats away, Miguel used the infamous crane kick to score his first point, and Johnny Lawrence looked straight at Daniel LaRusso with a smirk that seemed to say, "Recognise that move?" Miguel won the round with ease, too. "Go, Lauren! You can win this thing!" Sam shouted from the stands, as her parents and a few friends from school cheered her on.

She got past the quarter-finals with nothing but a bruise near her lip and a sore ankle. As she stood waiting for the semifinal announcement, her heartbeat grew fast and faster. The odds of fighting Miguel were one in four now. "There can only be one true champion. And he or she is standing right here on this stage!" The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. "Will it be Miguel Diaz from Cobra Kai Karate?" Miguel bowed. "Or will it be Hawk- well, I guess it's just Hawk, from Cobra Kai Karate?" "Will it be Lauren Wilson from Shorin Ryu Karate?" Lauren bowed, a smile plastered on her face. "Or will it be Robby Keene, unaffiliated?" Robby bowed. She saw them arrange the cards on the tournament board. She saw Miguel's name. Diaz. She squinted to see whose name they were sliding underneath it, and that's when her heart dropped into her stomach.

"Our first semi-final match; Diaz versus Wilson. The match will commence after a three-minute break. Good luck to all the semi-finalists!"


	14. No Mercy

"The first semi-final match, Diaz versus Wilson. The match will commence after a three-minute break. Good luck to all the semi-finalists!"

Diaz versus Wilson. It was what she feared. She didn't want to fight her best friend, especially for a silly trophy. She never wanted to hurt him, and she never would. But judging by his behaviour today, she was scared that he would hurt her. "Hey, congratulations!" Sam came up next to her. "Are you nervous?" Lauren nodded. "Definitely. Have you seen how aggressive he's been today? Hitting the mat in anger after losing a point? Showing no mercy to the opponent? I don't care how much of a coward I sound like, but I'm scared! How pathetic is that? I'm scared of my best friend!" Sam put her hand on Lauren's shoulder. "Calm down. You'll be just fine. Miguel would never hurt you. Not even with his eyes closed. Even though things didn't work out between us, I know him well enough to know that he'd lose the match, but never hurt you." "That does sound like him..." "For sure. Unless you mind the occasional sparring bruises, you'll be fine!" Lauren laughed. "Oh no, of course not! He even gave me a black eye one time!"

"So, you're good to go?" Lauren nodded. "Thanks, Sam." Samantha hugged her. "You've got this."

Lauren took a deep breath and walked to the Cobra Kais. Johnny was talking to Miguel, with an intense look on the latter's face. Probably talking strategy. "Uh, hey Miguel. Just came by to wish you luck. No matter what happens now, it'll surely be a cool experience. All in good fun, right?" Miguel rose and walked to her. The smouldering flame in his dark eyes, the slight bulge of his toned arm muscles and the swishing of his black belt as he strode towards her made Lauren wish she could just pull him into the tightest hug and tell him exactly how she felt.

"Well, luck is for losers. I don't need it. But, good luck to you, if that makes you feel better." He turned around and began to walk away, when he whipped back around and said, "By the way, I won't go easy on you. You're in the way of my trophy, and I will do anything that I must do to ensure it's mine. There's nothing fun about this, it's serious business. Prepare yourself for what's to come, because you'll never have expected it when I'm done with you. Anyways, I need to get back to stretching. I don't have time for this."

As she walked away, the dangerous note in his voice and the livid frown that seemed to have permanently settled on his face until that trophy was in his grip cemented themselves in Lauren's brain. "So, how'd that go?" Sam asked. "Not how I expected it to."  
Sam sighed and patted her on the back. "It's okay, just focus on the match. Think on the bright side, you know all his strengths and weaknesses." Lauren nodded. The feeling of betrayal and the wave of grief that threatened to rise inside of her was suppressed by pure, unadulterated fury. This monster was not her best friend, not at all the boy she had gotten to know so well that she fell in love with him. This was a heartless, ruthless fighting machine that Cobra Kai created. She looked over at Johnny Lawrence, who gave her an encouraging nod. Lauren glared straight at him and his students. Jerks. Every single one of them.

"Fighters, to your positions, please!"

"Face me, bow. Face each other, bow." Meeting Miguel's gaze, she saw the poison in his narrowed eyes. She noticed the almost soundless sliding of his feet as he took position. She felt his steady, measured breaths as he calculated every move required to finish off his opponent. Like a true Cobra. "And, fight!"

Miguel didn't see the girl who saved him from Kyler and his gang. He didn't see the girl who took him home from the Halloween dance. He didn't see the girl who comforted him at the country club. This wasn't the girl whose face was the first one he saw every morning. These weren't the lips he kissed to save her at the theatre. The girl in the red bandanna standing in front of him was not the kind-hearted, hot-headed Lauren Wilson. His rock through hell or high water. All he saw was the enemy. Someone in the way of his victory. Someone he needed to eliminate, to finish off in such a way that she would never dream of crossing him ever again. He glanced at Sensei Lawrence, who brought his fist up to his chest in encouragement, with a stiff nod. Miguel nodded. Message received. No mercy. "HAI!" He cried, and reached out for a backfist to the side of her head, with all the power he could muster. She blocked him and threw a roundhouse slap kick to his lower back. "One point, Wilson!" Miguel roared, slapped the mat with his palms and jumped back onto his feet. He just saw red all around him, clouding his judgement and leaving way for only one thought. Finish her.  
He was not going to lose. Not to a girl, of all people.

Lauren was in the lead. She kneed Miguel in the stomach, and when he pushed her leg away, punched him with full force in the face. He stumbled backwards, clutching his nose in shock. And for a brief moment, just for the fraction of a second, she saw the old Miguel return. The sweet, kind boy, who wasn't afraid to be vulnerable around her. Her Miguel.

"Don't let your emotions take control. The minute you lose your composure, you've lost the match."

Lauren shut her eyes and took a deep breath, and that's when she realised. She had let her anger take control of her. She composed herself and cleared her head of all thoughts revolving around Miguel. As she watched him wipe the blood off and toss the tissue aside, she saw the hunger return to his eyes. He resembled a rabid predator, desperate to hunt.

"Wilson, two. Diaz, zero. Fight!" Miguel was desperate by now. If she scored another point, he would lose. He glanced into her eyes, the anger was now replaced with a calm focus, as if she were prepared for anything. He did a jumping tornado kick to her abdomen, which threw her off balance. "One point, Diaz." Finally! She charged, throwing punches and kicks in rapid succession so that it was all he could do to back away and block her. "Stop! Out of bounds! You lose a point, Diaz." Damn it! He thought, glaring at the girl like he wanted to end her. She attempted a neck chop, but Miguel grabbed her arm and twisted it. He stepped in and tripped her.

Looking up at Miguel as he used the move she taught him against her, Lauren was dumbfounded. "Two points, Diaz!"

_"Prepare yourself for what's to come, because you'll never have expected it when I'm done with you."_

He looked like he was going to strike again, and Lauren shielded herself as best as she could, expecting the worst. Instead, he stuck out his hand to help her up, with a little smile on his face. Lauren trusted Miguel with her life. Even Sam believed that he would never hurt her. So she took his hand and hoped she wouldn't regret it. 

* * *

_"The Cobra strike is composed of two parts: the lunge, and the bite, which is everything that happens after you make contact." Sensei Lawrence explained, demonstrating on a dummy. "You can strike to the face, or break his teeth, or strike here, and you damage his trachea. Obviously, that's for extreme situations only."_

Diaz, two. Wilson, two. The next point wins. It was do or die. Miguel smirked. He knew just the thing that would throw her off guard. He put out a hand to help her up and smiled at her warmly. As soon as she was on her feet, he pushed her behind, lunged towards her, and punched her in the throat with everything he had in him. A true Cobra.

* * *

_"Hawk of Cobra Kai is disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct, earning Robby Keene a trip to the finals!"_

_"The final match we've all been waiting for! Miguel Diaz of Cobra Kai Karate against Robby Keene, who will now be fighting on behalf of Miyagi-Do Karate!"_

_"And the winner of the 50th Annual All Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament is Miguel Diaz of Cobra Kai Karate!"_

_"I would just like to thank my Sensei. Without him, I wouldn't be here. This is for Sensei Lawrence and Cobra Kai!"_


	15. Blur

Miguel pushed her, and she was unprepared for it. Just as she got herself in position, he lunged forward and punched her in the throat with everything he had in him. Lauren gasped for breath, but she couldn't get any. She sank to the ground, trying her best to breathe, while the referee declared Miguel the winner. "Oh my god, Medic! MEDIC!" Someone noticed her and screamed for the medic. After that, everything was a blur as everything spun around and she blacked out. The next thing she knew, she was in a hospital bed, with an oxygen mask on her face and a couple of IV tubes attached to her wrist.  
"Mom? Dad?" Her voice came out muffled through the mask, and her parents, who seemed to be in some sort of daze, jumped at the sound of her voice.

"Lauren, baby, you're okay!" Her mother pulled her into a hug, as Lauren felt tears wet her shoulder. "We were so worried, love." Her dad sat down on the bed at kissed her forehead. She leaned in and rested her head on his broad chest for a while. Man, they could be so annoying at times, but they were her family. And they cared. How could they not? Just then, the doctor walked in. "Oh, I see you're up, young lady." "How long was I out for?" "The whole night. How do you feel?" "I feel okay, but it takes a bit of effort to breathe deeply. And I feel kind of dizzy." The doctor nodded. "That's understandable. You took a hit to your trachea, that's why you're having trouble breathing. Luckily, it didn't do much damage, but the impact of the punch was quite a bit. You'll be perfectly fine in a few weeks. And as for your dizziness, it's because your head isn't getting as much oxygen as it should." "A few weeks? That's way too long!"

The doctor laughed. "Oh, don't worry, you can go back to school on Monday. Just avoid tiring yourself with sports and karate and all that for a while. You're a fighter, that I know." "So, can I go home today?" "I'll just take a few final tests, and then hopefully yes, you can go." The tests went well, and Lauren was on her way home from the hospital. "Thank you, Dr Bell." The red-haired woman smiled kindly. "My pleasure. Take care of yourself!"

As they pulled up to the driveway, Lauren noticed Sam waiting at the front door with Aisha, Moon and Robby. "Lauren! You're back!" "Yep, where did you think I'd go?" Lauren made her way to her friends much more slowly than she normally would have. Walking to the front door was suddenly exhausting. She leaned against a pillar to catch her breath. "How are you feeling?" Sam asked. "I'm all good, just out of breath." She looked at Robby, who had his arm in a sling. "What happened at the finals? And to your arm?" "My shoulder. That guy Hawk kicked it when my back was turned. And Diaz beat me at the finals." "Oh. I'm sorry about your shoulder. It's not too bad, I hope?" Robby assured her that he was fine.

Diaz. The name sounded almost foreign to her now. Despite what she had said at the tournament about not letting the match affect their friendship, it couldn't possibly be valid now, could it? She hated Miguel just as much as she loved him, or used to love him. Betrayal was nothing new to her. Losing friends? She was a veteran. But this? She was certain that she was going to die that day. She placed her trust in him, and he threw away months of their friendship down the drain, all for a cheap trophy.  
Nothing hurt more than this, as she thought back to all the things they did together. From the time he taught her how to pronounce the names of the dishes his grandmother would make, to the time she tried to teach him to play the piano, but failed miserably. How she once fell asleep on his shoulder while playing video games at his house, and her parents let her spend the night there. The time he cried in her arms at the country club, that day, when they kissed at the movie theatre to get away from the creep, and the day he drove her home after the party at the Canyon. All these memories were like daggers that came back to stab her again and again.

As she looked through her phone at all the pictures they took together, she couldn't bring herself to delete a single one, instead wishing she had more to remember the good times.

_____________________

(After the tournament:)  
Miguel was a champion that day. Winning the All Valley wasn't just something he did for himself; he wanted to shine in Sensei Lawrence's eyes. The guy was practically a father to him, and the last thing Miguel wanted was to disappoint him. His mother hugged him, brimming with pride. She got a call from the hospital where she worked and had to leave. There was an emergency and they were short-staffed. While Johnny and Miguel drove back home, the latter just couldn't stop talking. "I did it, Sensei! No, we did it! I can't believe it! Sensei?" Johnny Lawrence stayed silent as he drove them back to Reseda. "Sensei, what's wrong? We won!" "Yes, you won." "Aren't you proud of me?" "I was until you used the Cobra strike." "What do you mean? That's the reason I won the semifinals! Or I would have lost to a girl!" "That 'girl' was your best friend, Diaz. I taught you that the strike to the trachea was only for extreme situations." "It was an extreme situation! I couldn't let her win, could I?"

Johnny didn't know what to say to the excited teenager sitting next to him. He was the one who transformed the shy nerd who was bullied by everyone into a champion fighter who didn't spare anyone. No, scratch that. He created a monster. A monster who went to no lengths just to impress him. No mercy. Strike first. Strike hard. What was he filling these kids' brains with? He was turning innocent kids into merciless killers, and that was exactly what his Sensei John Kreese was doing. That was why he left Cobra Kai in 1984. He had promised himself that he would never bring back John Kreese's Cobra Kai, but that was exactly what he had been doing. He had promised himself and Carmen Diaz that he would never let Miguel go astray. He broke that promise, too. Now that girl was probably in a critical condition thanks to his psychotic teachings. He shook his head, disappointed at the failure he saw in the mirror every morning. He had thought that teaching kids karate was his redemption after he threw everything away in the past; his love, Shannon, his son Robby, and ended up barely getting by as an odd job man, holed up drinking in a junky apartment in Reseda.

"Sensei?" "I let you down. When your mother allowed me to teach you again, I made a promise to her. That I'd never lead you down the wrong path. Now, look where we both are." "Sensei, I still don't get it. What did I do wrong? I just won the tournament for Cobra Kai. We should be celebrating!" Johnny looked at him like he was deranged. "Celebrating what exactly, Diaz? That I've been teaching my students to be complete assholes? Or that you could have killed your friend tonight, had you punched just a little harder? Need me to go on? 'Cause I don't mind." "Sensei, you're overreacting a little bit. Since when do you care about the opponent? That's not badass, not at all."

"WAKE UP, DIAZ! DO YOU WANT TO FLUSH YOUR LIFE DOWN THE TOILET BY FOLLOWING THIS NO MERCY CRAP? This might seem cool now, but I learnt the hard way that winning a tournament isn't the most important thing, being popular isn't the most important thing, being an alpha male isn't the most important thing; having friends and family who love you is. I care about you, Diaz, and I don't want you to end up like me, drinking to numb all the pain, my failures as a husband and father slapping me in the face every day. I don't want you to harbour that guilt all your life, that you hurt someone you love. That girl cares about you, I can tell. She would do anything for you, and you? You don't even know what condition you've put her in. Realise your mistake before it's too late, own up to it, and make amends. I've made mistakes, I taught you the wrong things, and I don't want you to suffer for your bad decisions as I did. My glory days lasted two minutes before I felt my life rush past me without being able to do anything about it. Change yourself, Diaz. We make mistakes, but we gotta learn from them together. Understood?"

Miguel was rendered speechless. He had never seen this vulnerable side of Sensei Lawrence and honestly, it scared him. "Yes, Sensei. I'm sorry." "It's okay, it's partly my fault." Nothing was said after that as the two parted ways in silence. Miguel opened the door to his empty apartment, with food kept on the table. His grandmother had left a note on the refrigerator. It was written in Spanish, but in English it meant:

I'm going out to meet my sister. The food is on the table. I love you, my champion.  
Yaya.

As he helped himself to a cold dinner, the gravity of the situation finally sunk into him. Suddenly, the silence seemed too loud, he lost his appetite and felt sick, the pictures on the wall seemed to mock his very existence. He picked up his phone and called his mother. " _Mama_? Can we talk?" "What's wrong, _mijo_?" "That emergency you had to leave for, who was it?" Silence. "I'm sorry, sweetie." "Who was it?!" "It was your friend, Laura." He didn't even bother to correct her this time. "Do you realise what you did to her?" "Yes. Sensei told me on the ride home. I- I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry! I'm a monster!" Carmen's heart went out to her son, who knew he made the biggest mistake. She wasn't going to punish him for it, it would only make it worse. Who knew, everyone would indeed look upon him as a 'monster', as he called himself. Her son needed her, and she wasn't going anywhere. "Yes, you made a mistake. I'm not going to say that it wasn't your fault. It was your choice to hurt her, I'm sure your Sensei would never tell you to do something like that. I'm grateful for the fact that you came to your senses soon enough, and I'm proud of you for that. We all make mistakes, Miggy. Don't let them define you, or your future."

Miguel listened in silence, sobs racking his entire body as he broke down weeping. "Will she be okay, _Mama_?" If his mother said no, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. "Yes, she'll be fine. It'll take a few weeks, a month, maybe, but the doctor said that while the impact was pretty strong, you didn't do any major damage." Miguel practically dissolved into the couch in relief. "How is she now?" "She's unconscious for now, and they don't know how long she'll be that way, but a few hours, maybe? I'm sorry, I don't know much. Anything past the X-rays isn't in my area of expertise. The only thing the doctor said was that she'll have trouble breathing for a while, and she needs to avoid strenuous activity, but she'll be okay." "I'm sure she'll never want anything to do with me ever again." "Don't say that. Everybody deserves a second chance." "In this case, probably not. What kind of friend am I? She got me out of fights, while I literally took one too far. What will I do? Help me!"

"You need to give her time. After something like this, you need to work hard, very hard to regain her trust. Which won't be easy, let me tell you." "But how do I go about it?" "That's for you to decide, Miggy."


	16. Restart

Miguel found himself calling Lauren before he knew what he was doing. She didn't answer. No surprise. He kept trying until someone finally answered. "Lauren?" "Lauren's not home right now." "Hi Mr Wilson- uh, Robert- no, Mr Wilson... I just wanted to apologize for everything I did yesterday. I don't even know what I was thinking, it was all in the heat of the moment. I'm so, so sorry. I will apologize to Lauren, of course, but I owe you guys an apology too. I understand if you don't want me near her again, but please know that I didn't know what was going on with me. It wasn't me that day. Honestly, I don't know who the boy at the tournament was. I would never hurt Lauren after everything she's been through with me. I swear. And I'm sorry."

Mr Wilson silently processed the boy's words. He could hear the earnest pleading in his voice, he could feel the pain the boy was feeling, and the guilt that was weighing him down. He took a deep breath. Daniel had told him about Cobra Kai, and what it could do. But this kid? He was something different. "Look, Miguel, you're a good kid. You really are. And I believe you when you say you weren't thinking because I've witnessed the kind of bond you and Lauren have-" "Had." "My friend Daniel LaRusso told me all about Cobra Kai, and how it corrupts. Sure enough, you fell into that easy trap, but if you can get yourself out, you're tougher than most people say." Miguel still didn't have his answer. "So, do you forgive me?" Mr Wilson sighed and softly said, "It's not me who has to forgive you." "Will she ever forgive me?" "That's for her to decide."

"Poor kid," he said after he hung up. Cobra Kai. The notorious karate dojo that ruined lives in the 80s was back again. Who knew this better than Daniel LaRusso?

Daniel LaRusso   
  
**Today** 4:47 PM   
Hey, are you busy?   
  
Hey, man. No, what's up?   
  
This Johnny Lawrence guy. How much trouble is he really?   
  
Oh, you don't want to know.   
  
I can't have him ruining my daughter's life.   
  
Poor Lauren. How is she doing?   
  
She's fine. She's out with Sam now, I think. Anyway, about Cobra Kai? Innocent kids are being corrupted to hurt their friends. What is this man up to?   
  
You're right. I'm opening up Miyagi-Do for the exact same reason.   
  
Miyagi-Do?   
  
My Sensei, Mr. Miyagi left me his house when he died. That was where I trained, and now I want to teach kids the right kind of karate. What do you think?   
  
It could work, man. I think you're doing the right thing.   
  
Lawrence won't stand a chance.   
  


* * *

Monday came, with everyone hesitantly crawling out of their beds. Lauren was quiet the whole ride to school. "What're you thinking?" Sam asked. "Nothing." Lauren was contemplating every possible way that she could run into Miguel today, and how she could avoid him. "I'm sorry about Miguel. I never thought he would do something like that." "Thanks. Me neither. I honestly thought I was going to die that day." Sam winced. "Don't say that. You're here now, that's what matters." "Let's change the topic. What are you doing for your birthday?" "I don't know. I can't wait, though."

Lauren warily made her way through the vast hallways, her eyes darting from side to side, alert for a certain dark-haired boy. "Lauren, there you are! Can we talk, please?" She promptly turned in the other direction. "Lauren, please! Hear me out!" She dodged Miguel as best as she could and hurried into the Biology lab. "Lauren, you're late!" "I'm sorry, Mr Walker." "Take your seat. If you're late two more times this week, it's detention." "Yes, sir." Miguel watched from outside the room, as the brunette flopped down on her desk and panted heavily for a few minutes. Eventually, she ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath to calm herself. Her eyes flickered across the room to meet his, and he tried to search for any sign of forgiveness in them. All he saw was anger and hurt. "Miguel, bro! We're going to be late, let's go!" He allowed himself to be led away by Hawk, who didn't see what the big deal was. No mercy, nothing wrong with that. Why was Miguel being such a softie? Anyway, Sensei would put him in his place today.

Lauren felt Miguel's gaze bore into her throughout the day. With the silent plea in his eyes, the genuine sorrow and regret in his expression, she knew he was suffering inside. She knew he was drowning in guilt and wanted nothing more than to win her back. She knew that he knew that she needed time. Lots of it. Before she could even consider talking to him. What he didn't know, was that Lauren Wilson was more stubborn than she let on and had the memory of an elephant. This girl would break before she could bend.

The silent treatment went on for two more weeks. Miguel would approach her, and she would abruptly turn in the opposite direction. Never a word from her. Not since the tournament. Miguel longed to hear her voice whisper something about the teachers in his ear, or playfully punch him on the shoulder while teasing him. He pined for her; her friendship, that laugh that could make him forget about all his worries, and that dazzling smile she seemed to reserve only for him. This is the limit, he told himself, firmly. You need to confront her before it's too late. He was pretty sure it was too late the minute his fist connected with her throat, but Sensei thought otherwise. Cobra Kai was changing. "Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy. You follow this, it'll make you tough. It'll make you strong. It'll also make you an asshole. These are just black words on a white wall. But life's not all black and white. More often than not, it's grey. And it's in those grey areas that you gotta learn to use your head to think." The words came flashing back to him. Today. He was confronting Lauren Wilson today if it was the last thing he did.

Riding his bike to school, he watched Lauren and Sam pass him by. "Lauren, wait! Let me explain myself, please!" His begging came to no avail as the girl fixed him with a cold stare before turning around and walking away. On his way to Chemistry, he saw Lauren get her books from her locker. This was his moment. "Lauren, hi. Please don't walk away. I beg you. Give me a minute, please." She looked at him with a blank expression. "You have thirty seconds. Talk." "Thank you so much. I'm sorry, I really am. I know you don't want to hear it, but-" She slammed her locker's door shut, hard, interrupting him. "Exactly. _I don't want to hear it._ " She stormed away, leaving Miguel staring after her retreating figure with his head hung in disappointment.


	17. John Kreese

"This is Mr Kreese. He's just an observer. Pretend like he's not even here. Mr Diaz, warm them up." Miguel stepped up to the front and bowed to all the other students. He noticed the old man staring at him intently. There was something innately sinister about his unwavering gaze, but Miguel decided to ignore it. "Front kick. Yuh! Forward strike. Yuh! Side jab. Yuh!" The students dabbed, and Johnny exchanged confused glances with the stranger.

"You think winning the All Valley gives you the right to goof off? Winning one championship don't mean squat!" Johnny threw his beer to the ground in anger. "A true champion never stops training, never stops moving forward. Or you'll get stuck like cement." Just as he said this, a huge cement truck pulled up behind the men. "If you don't move fast enough, all the cement in this truck will get stuck for good, with you. Do you want to get stuck like cement?" "NO SENSEI!" The entire class said, confused as to why they were in a strange place so early in the morning. "Get in there!" Johnny ordered. Miguel decided to speak up. "Sensei, this seems dangerous. I mean, the fumes alone-" "QUIET!" Mr Kreese shouted, and he was obeyed immediately. "This man led you to the mountaintop, and you question him? When I look around, I see a bunch of pussies. The fact that you won a championship is in itself, a miracle. And who is responsible for this miracle? Johnny Lawrence. The toughest student in the history of Cobra Kai. My student."

"Wait, you were Sensei's Sensei?" Hawk asked, incredulous. "You better believe it, kid." Miguel stepped forward first. "I'll do it, Sensei." Everyone followed his lead and soon found themselves in the dark cement truck with liquid cement seeping into their shoes. Johnny banged on it from outside. "DON'T JUST STAND THERE, MOVE! YOU WANNA GET STUCK?"

* * *

"You should clear the air, Lauren." "I don't want to." Lauren and Sam were caught up in their daily debate of whether or not she should talk to Miguel. "He's clearly sorry, everyone can tell. Just give him another chance." "You know I can't. I can't bring myself to. The minute I open the door to him even a tiny crack, the floodgates open and I'm overwhelmed with emotions I can't even explain." "You like him, don't you?" "No!" "Come on! I knew it for a while, even when Miguel and I were dating." Lauren blushed. "Wait, what? How?" "It was kind of obvious." "I-" Lauren's voice trailed off, the heat rushing to her face. "So you do like him!" Sam said, triumphantly. "No. I used to. Not anymore." "Are you sure?" "Yes." _No, I'm not sure. I'm not sure how I feel about Miguel Diaz. Do I love him? Do I hate him? Is he my friend? My enemy? I don't know! Someone help me!_

Miyagi-Do had been open for a day now. Robby and Sam were Daniel's only students. He tried convincing Lauren to join them, but she politely declined. "Even though I have nothing against learning from you, Mr LaRusso, I don't want to get involved in this dojo rivalry. Maybe I can train with you occasionally, and you can give me a few tips?" Daniel could live with that. He liked Lauren, with her open attitude and willingness to try new things. Her empathetic nature drew many close to her, and she was normally level headed, that is until someone crossed her. She was slowly getting back into karate bit by bit as she recovered. She could practice for about fifteen minutes non-stop before her lungs felt like they would burst and she needed to take a break. This was a significant change. Fifteen days ago, she couldn't walk from her room to the dining table without panting heavily.

"Speaking of Miguel, do you think there's a chance you two are getting back together?" Sam shook her head.  
"I think we're done. I want to stay on good terms with him, though. But sometimes, I'm wishing things could have turned out differently..." _If only I'd have given him Sam's message sooner..._

"Well, since my birthday is next week, I've decided to throw a party at a bowling alley." "That should be fun!" "I'm planning on inviting Miguel if that's okay with you." Part of her wanted to run away as soon as she heard that. Instead, she slowly nodded. "You'll be okay with him being there?" "I will. I can't keep hiding from him anymore. Besides, he's _your_ ex, and this is _your_ party we're talking about! Don't take my permission for anything!" "That's great. I know it's hard, Lauren, but you have to forgive him." "I already told you, I can't. I can't let him in, not again. I don't want to hurt myself even worse. Trust me, I've been through similar situations before." "How did they end?" "With me crying and wishing it could have ended differently." "Exactly. So talk to him. Hear him out, please." Lauren was scared of confronting Miguel after all that happened, more than anything else. But facing fears was a part of what she was about. "You know what? I'm going to do it." "Really?" "I'll try my best." "That's it! I knew you would come around."

* * *

Something about Sensei Kreese just didn't add up. His war stories about defeating warlords in Mogadishu and Rwanda, they just didn't seem right to Miguel. He confided in Hawk and the feisty new girl, Tory, but they brushed away his suspicions. "Sensei Kreese is _bad-ass_ ," Hawk said, emphasizing on the word. "Yeah, I can relate to his lessons, a lot. Sensei Lawrence was just going easy on us." Tory had a naturally cynical streak in her, but she didn't strike until someone messed with her. Her overflowing confidence and stunning entry into the dojo by defeating Miguel in a fight attracted him to her. 'Tory with a Y', as she had introduced herself, was an easily likeable person, who never held back on her opinions. They had become good friends in the last week. Miguel had voiced his concerns to Johnny, who had assured him that there was nothing to worry about. Kreese was harmless. If only he could approach Lauren for advice. The one person he couldn't talk to.

As he left the dojo, he had an idea. "Aisha, can I borrow your phone?" "Sure." Just as he expected, Lauren answered. "Hey, Aisha! Long time no see, can we hang out sometime?" "I'd love that, actually..." Miguel said, treading cautiously. "What-" "Please don't hang up, I need to talk to you." He heard a deep sigh on the other side. Now or never, Miguel. _Now or never. Don't screw it up._ Lauren wanted to disconnect, but she just couldn't. She couldn't let go of him so easily. Besides, she had to face her fear sooner or later. So why not now? _Now or never, Lauren. Hear him out._

"Hello? Are you still there?" Miguel asked anxiously. "Yes, I'm listening."


	18. All In

"Yes. I'm listening." "Lauren, I'm not going to sugarcoat it, and I'm not going to say more than I need to. Doing it that way never works, and it's only people who pretend to care who use that way. The easy way out. I care about you, Lauren. I really, really do. You're my best friend, you're like my sister. Heck, even more than that, and I would be lost without you. What I did that night, it was, it is unforgivable. I don't know what got into me. That 'No Mercy' motto just drilled itself into my mind until all I could see was that trophy. And I overstepped. No trophy is more precious than the friendship we had. I'd give anything to get you to forgive me, but I know it's not so easy. And I'll wait. I'll wait for you, whenever you're ready. When you can trust me again, and I'll never give you a reason to doubt me ever again. I'm sorry I let you down, I'm sorry I behaved that way, and I'm sorry I hurt you."

Lauren was rendered speechless for a second. She had almost forgotten this emotional side of Miguel. She could hear his voice quavering as he spoke, the conviction in his promises, that had lured her in before. Her mind was swimming with thoughts, and she was struggling to stay afloat. Part of her wanted to forgive him, tell him that it was alright and throw her arms around his neck. Another part of her hesitated vigorously, spitting vicious insults at him. After all, he broke her heart. He broke her. Literally. She wasn't one to forget, and she was not sure she could trust him the same way. "I- I need some time." Miguel nodded. "I understand. Just...even if you can't forgive me, please don't shut me out of your life. You mean too much to me, Lauren, I won't let go so easily." "Okay." "So...?" "I acknowledge your apology, but I just can't accept it yet." Miguel didn't know whether to be relieved, or guilty, or just angry. He was as confused as anyone could get.

"So, I'll see you later?" The poor boy tried, again and again, to get a definite answer from her. "I guess." Saying so, Lauren hung up, torn between the voices in her head. She didn't know if she forgave him just now. She didn't even know if she wanted to.

* * *

"Two difficult choices. What do you do? You damn the consequences and power forward." Johnny Lawrence tripped Kreese, who had him in a chokehold, and both men fell to the ground. "You may get hurt, but nobody wins by doing nothing." He said to his students, getting up again. "Go all in." Miguel couldn't stop thinking of Sam. Ever since they broke up at the party, he was never the same. He hated how he behaved that night, and that huge misunderstanding that ended in him accidentally hitting Sam. He wished ever since that he could go back in time and redo that night. His walk down memory lane was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He had to stare at his screen for a while before he could bring himself to believe it. It was Samantha LaRusso herself! He picked up, his hands sweaty and shaking, trying his best to sound casual. "Hey, Sam. How are you doing?" "I'm doing fine. What about you?" "I'm okay, too. What's up? Is everything okay?" Sam laughed. "Yeah, everything's great. My birthday's coming up next Tuesday, and I, um, well, I'd like you to be a part of it." 

"What?" Miguel didn't expect this. He had been gathering the courage to talk to her for months, and she just invites him to her birthday party? "Miguel? Are you still there?" "Y- yeah." "I mean- you don't have to come! Not that I don't want you to come... I do want you to come, but not if you don't want to. Like, you know what I mean?" "Yeah, yeah I know what you mean." "So, do you want to come?" "Yeah, I'd love to." "Great, I'll text you the address!" "I'll be there, thanks for inviting me." "Thanks for accepting my invitation." "Thanks for... calling me!" This is getting awkward. The same thought lodged itself in both their minds. "So...I'll see you there?" "Yes, I'll be there!" 

They both waited in silence for the other to hang up. Finally, the silence was beginning to kill Miguel. "Uh, Sam, my mom needs me, so I need to go. Thanks for calling." "Yeah, sure. And, Miguel?" "Hm?" "It was- it was nice talking to you after so long." "You too."

* * *

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAM!" Sam eagerly opened the box Lauren had handed her to find a stunning pair of sleek, beige, ankle-length boots. She gasped. "Lauren, these are beautiful! Thank you so much!" Lauren beamed, running her fingers along her perfect French braid. "I'm glad you liked it!" There was a knock on Sam's bedroom door and Amanda LaRusso walked in. "All set to go, girls?" She noticed the boots on the bed. "Sam, honey, those are beautiful!" "I know, right? Lauren got them for me!" "That's amazing. Now, if you guys are ready, we should leave for the bowling alley. Wouldn't want the birthday girl to be late to her party!" "Just a minute, Mrs LaRusso. We'll be down soon!" "Lauren, how many times have I told you? Call me Amanda!" Lauren grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Mrs LaRusso. I mean, Amanda." "Okay, I'll get Anthony away from his video game in the meantime. Don't take too long, though!" As soon as she left the room, Lauren asked Sam, "So, Miguel's coming, huh?" Sam nodded. "The phone call was super awkward." "How do you feel?" "I don't know. I'd like to be friends, as I said before." "Just friends?" "Yeah. Just friends. How are you going to deal with him?" Lauren sighed. "I'll just try my best not to shut him out, I suppose." "Give him another chance, please." "I know, and I want to. I just..." "What are you so scared of? He's Miguel Diaz! Your best friend, who made a mistake. Forgive him!" "Maybe it's time I should. Now let's get this party started!"

Miguel walked into the bowling alley full of people. Upbeat music from the trending charts boomed through the many speakers, as the coloured lights flashed right into his face. He tightened his grip on the box in his hand, still processing the fact that Sam, his ex, had invited him to her party, where his best friend was also going to be there. His best friend who still hadn't made it clear if she forgave him or not. "Miguel, there you are! Thanks for coming!" "Happy Birthday, Sam. Here, I got you something. It's not the fanciest, but I think you'll like it." Sam unwrapped the satin ribbon tied around it, trying to overlook that it was in the shape of a heart. She lifted the lid off the tiny box to see a bracelet with an octopus charm hanging from it. Octopus. Her mind skipped back to their first date, many months ago. Miguel won her a stuffed octopus from all the tickets they had collected, and it was kind of their 'thing'.  
 _Maybe this was his way of apologizing for what happened? If so, I'll take it._ "Miguel, I love it. Thank you." "You're welcome. If you don't mind, can we talk?" Looking around at the place, with people all around, he added, "Alone?" Sam looked hesitant at first but agreed. She led him outside to the lawn which was empty at the moment, exempting a few children.  
"Look, I shouldn't have reacted the way I did that day, but it's only because I was terrified that you were leaving me for Robby. Your dad hates Cobra Kai, so I figured he'd hate me too. Sam, I'm sorry for everything." "It's okay. It was all a huge misunderstanding, and I don't blame you for the most part. You shouldn't have gotten jealous of Robby, though. We're just friends, who train together. Whatever happened, happened. I don't like dwelling on the past." "So, can we try this again? Give us another shot? Because I never got over you. I think of you every single day, Samantha LaRusso, and how I screwed up." Sam nodded slowly. "I'd like that too. I missed you, Miguel."

Then, it was as if nothing ever happened between them, as their lips collided and time stopped. When they finally pulled away, Sam giggled and hugged Miguel. "I'm glad we're doing this again." "Me too." Just then, Lauren burst into the lawn, looking annoyed. "Sam, where were you? I looked all over!" Her gaze wandered to Miguel, and her eyes widened, as if in realisation. "Am I interrupting something?" She quizzed, looking directly at Sam. "No, of course not." "Good. They're going to cut the cake soon, and surprisingly, you're needed." Sam laughed and rolled her eyes at the other girl's sarcasm. She noticed Miguel staring at Lauren anxiously as if contemplating whether or not to talk to her. "Hi, Lauren. It's nice to see you." He said, his expectations quite low. Lauren stayed silent, looking him right in the eye for one long moment. She threw a glance at Sam, and then back to him. "Hey." She looked back at Sam and pointed towards the door. "We need to go. Now." She left, leaving Sam and Miguel alone again. "Maybe it's not just me you need to talk to..." Miguel still seemed unsure. "Is this the right time?" "Anytime is the right time, just go for it." Sensei Lawrence's words echoed in his ears.

"Go all in."


	19. Rethink

What's a party without dancing? Miguel wasn't much of a dancer, but he threw in a few moves here and there just so that people wouldn't stare. He watched from afar as Lauren and Hawk lost themselves to _Rose Colored Boy_ by Paramore. He saw her laughing till tears rolled down her cheeks as Hawk tried spinning her around, salsa style, but tripped and fell face-first onto the raised platform they took as a stage. "Better luck next time!" Lauren said, as she warily approached Miguel. Every few steps she took, she stopped and sipped at her glass of lemon soda as if reconsidering her decision. "Gosh, what makes you think I'll hurt you?" Miguel muttered under his breath, momentarily irritated.

_That's what she would have thought the day of the tournament._

Finally, she was standing in front of him, a questioning look in her eyes. He couldn't figure out what it was, and honestly, it didn't matter anymore. "Hey." He said, forcing a smile. "Hey." She replied, the straw between her teeth. "You look good." Miguel had no idea why that sentence left his mouth, but she _did_ look good.   
Her brown hair was in a French braid, and she was wearing hoop earrings that perfectly complemented her red button-down dress with a white belt across her waist. He stared at her off-white boots that nervously shifted from side to side. "Thanks, you too." More awkward silence. Then Miguel asked, "Are we finally going to talk this out?" Lauren shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe over a dance?" "Hey, you know I don't dance!" "And I know you do. Come on." She ran off to ask the DJ to play something, saying she knew "just the perfect song for this". She came back and stood next to Miguel. "So, do you forgive me? I won't ever give you a reason to doubt me again. Till the day we die." Lauren raised her eyebrows and smirked. "Funny you should say that..." "What do you mean?"

 _Remember the words you told me,_ _"Love me 'til the day I die."_  
 _Yeah, you used to call me 'baby', n_ _ow you're calling me by name._  
 _Takes one to know one, yeah, y_ _ou beat me at my own damn game._

As Luke Hemmings' heartbroken voice rang through the speakers, Miguel knew exactly what she meant. "What is this supposed to mean?" He asked, now tired of her games. "Is this you telling me that you're done with me, or that it's too late for us to be friends again, or what? Because I'm confused, and I'm tired of you hinting at things!" "It doesn't mean anything, it's just one of my favourite songs. Is that a problem?" _Of course. "Youngblood" by 5 Seconds Of Summer, gosh, he hated that band. Too many songs that made him feel guilty about himself. And that lead singer. What did he think of himself? Strutting around with those golden locks. Ugh, so pretentious!_ Of course, he wouldn't dare say anything bad about them to Lauren on a normal day, so it was out of the question now. "Look, I've been thinking, and though what you did was pathetic, it's not worth losing our friendship over. At one point, I did consider it but eventually... I decided not to." What she really wanted to say was, "Eventually, I realized that I couldn't live without you." But she didn't say it. Of course, she didn't; it sounded way too desperate. He was supposed to be desperate, not her. "So we're good?" 

"I, uh...yes. We can try again." Miguel beamed and stepped forward to hug her, but she put her hands out in front of him. "Not yet. Just no." He nodded. "I understand." "Are you back together with Sam?" "Yeah, I'm glad that I fixed both my mistakes on the same day." That familiar jealousy gripped her again, though she hadn't been friends with him for more than a minute. _Why does Sam always get to him first?_ Though she never admitted it to herself, or anyone, that she had never stopped loving him. Even when she thought he killed her. Even when she religiously avoided him for a month. Even when she just caught him sucking face with Sam. Again. 

"I missed you, Lauren." Those words made her lightheaded, and she hated herself for it. _Don't you have any shame?_ She reprimanded herself while those dark eyes bored into hers, asking her the same question over and over again. _Do you let me back into your life?_ Well, she had a question of her own that she'd been dying to ask him for months now, but she knew the answer would disappoint her. "Yes. Yes, I do." She said softly, a smile growing on her face. "What?" "Oh. Nothing." "Can we make plans to hang out sometime?" "How about tomorrow... morning?" "Yes, ma'am." Inviting him to train with her again was a definite green light. And he wasn't going to mess it up. Not again. Or so he thought.

* * *

"Good morning, Sensei!" Miguel wasn't greeted with the smile he was hoping for. "Lauren, what's wrong? I thought we made up!" "Yeah, and I thought you and Sam made up too." "Yeah, so?" "SO YOU DON'T JUST VANDALIZE HER FATHER'S DOJO!" Did someone vandalize Miyagi-Do? It wasn't him. "I have no idea about this, I swear." "Really?" "You know that my Sensei and Mr LaRusso have their set of problems, but Sam's my girlfriend again now. Even if she wasn't, why would I vandalize anyone's dojo? Even Sensei Lawrence wouldn't. How can you blame it on Cobra Kai anyway? You don't know we did it." "Well, someone spray-painted 'Cobra Kai Never Dies' on Mr LaRusso's car. Is that proof enough?" Miguel looked shocked. Who would do that? The only answer he could think of was Sensei Kreese. That man was teaching them everything t "hat Sensei Lawrence stood against, and then demeaned him in the latter's absence. "I didn't do it. You know I wouldn't." "Yeah, I didn't think you'd be behind it. But you're still a part of Cobra Kai." "And I'm still Sam's boyfriend." _Do you have to remind me of that every time?_ "Why are we arguing already?" "Good point. Let's get started." 

Lauren was trying her best not to get too close to Miguel this soon, but she could see that she was on the road to failure. The boy had her heart, what could she do? 

* * *

Sam and Robby lay on their backs in the country club, absorbing the soft April sun, while Mr LaRusso tried desperately to advertise Miyagi-Do. He had tried to confront Johnny Lawrence about his dojo's destruction, but that prick chose to play dumb. Pretty sure that crashing their Valley Fest demonstration wasn't him either. "Sam, I need to tell you something." She met Robby's green eyes, and his forever questioning smile made her feel something she shouldn't. She gazed into his eyes, and he looked at her lips and back at her. They leaned in, barely millimetres away when a voice said, "Hey, what are you doing here? I told you never to come here again!" Robby's eyes grew wide in fear. Luckily, Mrs LaRusso stepped in and saved the day.

Sam's little run-in with Aisha and her new friend Tory didn't help one bit. The next time Robby saw her, she was covered from head to toe in chocolate mousse. "Sam, what- are you okay?" Her cheeks flushed a bright red. She didn't want Robby to see her like this. "I, uh, slipped and well, there you have it." That excuse didn't help. It made her look like a klutz, and Robby looked amused. "I guess I should go get cleaned up..." "You guess? So you wouldn't mind walking around looking like a dessert bar?" Robby chortled at his joke, and Sam bit her lip in embarrassment. "See you later, Robby." 

As the cool water cleansed the chocolate off her, Samantha LaRusso had a lot to think about. Her blood boiled at the very mention of Tory, whom she vowed to get even with sooner than later. Arrogant thief. Her mind wandered to the moment she almost kissed Robby. It hadn't been a mistake. Not at all. Before she knew it, she was faced with a new dilemma. 

_Robby or Miguel?_


	20. Honour

Sam and Robby. Sam and Miguel. The girl was exhausted, alternating between them. Neither knew that the other was in her life. What she didn't realize is that she was cheating on both of them, and both would be heartbroken if somehow, she was given away. Keeping it a secret from her parents was even harder. Miguel was the living example of the phrase, 'Oblivion is Bliss', and while Lauren sensed something off with Sam, she couldn't quite place a finger on it. 

Sam purposely distanced herself from Lauren. Though she hated it, she was unnecessarily mean to the girl, who didn't stay quiet either. "Jeez, stop following me around, Lauren. Go find some friends, won't you?" Lauren was taken aback by Sam's loud comment in the cafeteria. "What's going on with you?" "Nothing's wrong with me. Just find friends of your own, stop stealing mine!" Lauren was more puzzled than hurt at the grade school insult hurled at her. Why was Sam acting so weird? "Are you deaf? Go away!" "Well sure, my pleasure." Lauren didn't care for these petty words any more than she did about Disney Princesses. Come up with something good, at the least! She thought, laughing as she dumped her tray and walked out of the cafeteria. 

"Sam, what was that?" Miguel asked, surprised at his girlfriend. "Nothing. She needs to find her own friends, not steal you away from me." "Steal me away? You're acting strange. Are you sure you're okay?" "She's jealous of me. She likes you and she's jealous that you're with me. She always has been." "She's not- wait, what?" Miguel was taken aback. He didn't know what to believe anymore. Sam and Lauren were such good friends, what happened between them? "What, you don't believe me? She was the one who told me she liked you." The more nonsense she was spouting, the more he began to believe it. Before she knew it, she ended up telling Miguel exactly how Lauren felt about him. Maybe, deep down, she was just a little jealous of their friendship. Lauren was the first one he approached when something was wrong. Lauren was the first one he broke the good news to. Sometimes, Sam wondered who the girlfriend was. She didn't even regret the words leaving her mouth anymore. Agreed, the start was a little unconvincing, but how could someone be so good at everything? 

Miguel wanted to go after his friend, but Sam's glare glued him to his seat. Lauren sat in the school grounds, still confused as to what just happened. She hadn't heard the rest, so she expected Miguel to appear behind her any minute. When he didn't even after the bell rang, she was puzzled but didn't think much of it. Who cares? Haters were everywhere. Sure, she didn't expect Sam to become one practically overnight, but whatever. She had her license now, so she didn't have to depend on Sam anymore. Last month, Mr LaRusso had sold her parents a second-hand car, but it was still a beauty. That grey Chevrolet Impala was hers, and she loved it. 

Miguel couldn't help but think about what Sam had said. Did Lauren really like him? He didn't exactly _not_ have feelings for her, but he was with Sam. And no way was he losing her again.

The next morning, which was a Saturday, Lauren decided to take a walk through the woods to clear her mind. Still nothing from Miguel. Was he really on Sam's side? She heard intense shouting from afar and decided to follow the sound. What could be happening here? 

* * *

"You don't earn the Medal of Honour by stealing it!" Miguel saw Hawk wear it around his neck as he watched from afar. This training exercise at Coyote Creek was intense enough, without this drama added to it. Eventually, they were the last men standing from both groups and eyed each other with murderous looks. Eventually, Miguel defeated Hawk and whipped the Medal off his neck. "That's all I've got." He stripped him of his red headband and turned to the Senseis watching him. "Finish him," Kreese said. Miguel nodded and threw a spinning kick to Hawk's face, who was already on the ground. Sensei Kreese was tough, but he made them tough too. As his friend Tory once told him, "Life shows no mercy, so why should we?" "TEAM BLACK!" He bellowed, and his teammates cheered. Out of nowhere, Stingray emerged, put Miguel in a chokehold, and took off his headband. "You know, the thing about stingrays, they lie in wait for the perfect moment to attack." Saying so, he roughly pushed the boy away. "TEAM RED WINS!" 

So it was Cobra Kai. It made sense. "Lauren positioned herself behind a tree broad enough to hide her but watched the final fight between Miguel and Hawk. No Mercy all over again? Once the class was dismissed, she approached him. "No Mercy again? Don't you remember what happened at the tournament?" "What are you doing here?" "It doesn't matter. What was going on with you?" "Hawk stole the Medal Of Honour, and I took it from him. "Wait, Eli did what?" Miguel fished it out of his pocket to show her. "I- why would he do that?" "I don't know." "Who was the other guy with Mr Lawrence?" "Sensei Kreese? Oh, he's Sensei's Sensei. He's pretty tough, but I guess that makes us tough." Lauren tensed up at the name Kreese. "Kreese, as in John Kreese?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Yeah, I suppose. Why?" "Miguel! You have to get as far away from him as you can! The man is dangerous; you can even ask Mr Lawrence! He tried to kill him because he lost to Mr LaRusso at the All Valley. Trust me, this man is bad news. He also tried to-" Someone pushed her hard, and she hit a tree. "Don't listen to her, Mr Diaz. You know where your loyalties lie." Miguel spun around to see John Kreese in the flesh, his arms crossed with his snake tattoo bulging out of his biceps. "How dare you?" Lauren screamed in rage and attempted a roundhouse to his ribs. Miguel tried to warn her against it, but it was too late. She wasn't thinking in her rage, and possibly fear. Kreese simply put his hand out and caught her foot in it, like child's play. He twisted it, hard, and she yelled in pain. "Sensei, stop! Please!" "No mercy, Diaz. Never forget that." "Let me go, old man." Miguel sighed. It was just like her to intimidate the attacker, no matter how scared she was. 

Lauren twisted her leg further, and winced as a searing pain shot through it, but kept at it until it was out of Kreese's grasp. "Watch out, little miss," Kreese said, almost hissed, as he walked away like he beat up kids every day. Lauren was on the ground, clutching her ankle. "Wow, that was brave of you." She just nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. She gritted her teeth to keep from crying as Miguel slowly eased her shoe off her foot. "Almost there, just hang on." For the last bit, he had no choice but to yank it off. "I'm sorry!" Lauren yelped, and the tears finally found an outlet. She let them flow freely and held Miguel's hand tightly. "How bad is it?" He asked. "I don't know. I just hope it isn't broken." "Can you stand?" He helped her get up, and she leaned most of her weight on him as they slowly made their way out. 

"It's just a sprain. Good thing you were wearing shoes. Don't exert it for a few days, and it'll be right as rain." Lauren could have jumped for joy at this news. She couldn't stand another injury when she had only just recovered from the first one. She applied some ice on it for a while, with Miguel hanging around at her house. They watched a movie, and her leg felt a little better. "So what do you say, we go and return this to Sam?" "Now?" "Yes, now." "Lauren, are you sure?" "Why?" "After everything she said to you..." "Oh, I don't care about that. Come on, at least come up with a good line!" Miguel realized she hadn't heard what Sam told him after she left. "What are you waiting for, let's go!" They drove to the LaRusso residence, and Lauren insisted on waiting in the car. "You go on and give it to her. I'll wait here." "But-" "But nothing. Just go give it to her!" 

Miguel had no choice but to listen to her. He made his way to the front door but spotted Daniel LaRusso talking to someone. He was pretty sure that Sam's parents had no idea who he was. It hurt, but he told himself he was overreacting. Avoiding the front door, he chose another path through a hedge, which probably led to a back door or something. He looked through the hedge to see the back door he had been looking for beside the swimming pool, when he had a nasty shock. In the water, Samantha LaRusso had her lips locked with someone else. To be exact, Robby Keene. They pulled away after several seconds, oblivious to the boy standing on the other side of the plants. Robby got up and went inside, while Sam positioned herself on a poolside chair. "Miguel can never know..." She said, letting out a huge sigh. In less than a minute, Robby came out, having dried himself. Sam scooted and he settled next to her. Enough was enough, Miguel stepped out of the hedge, ready to confront Robby. But what he heard next froze him in his spot.

"Sam, I like you. You've been a great friend to me. Last week, I had no hot water, and this week I have a Jacuzzi in my backyard. Thank you so much." Wait, so Robby had moved in with the LaRussos? This just keeps getting better and better!

Sam giggled. "It's my pleasure, Robby. But don't get too excited; we did find a dead possum in there once." They both laughed at that, as Miguel stood there, seething. "Samantha LaRusso, you are the prettiest, smartest, funniest and kindest girl I've ever known. Plus, you're a great fighter. Will you be my girlfriend?" 

Miguel hung back, his heart beating in his throat. That punk had the nerve to ask out his girlfriend! He decided to see how things played out, and then, he would make his move. He looked back at the two of them. Sam blushed hard, and her smile grew bigger. Bigger than it had ever been with him. "Yes! I will be!" Miguel couldn't believe his ears. Without his knowledge, a loud gasp escaped his mouth. Robby got up immediately. "Who's there?" Miguel stepped forward, the diagonal rays lighting up his hoodie. On seeing him, Sam went pale. "H- hey M-Mi-Miguel... What are you d-doing here?" "I had come to return something of yours because I knew how upset you were. I wanted to make you happy. Turns out, you're happier with him." He handed her the medal of honour and stood there, wordlessly. "What do you mean? You broke up with Sam months ago!" Robby asked, jumping into the conversation. "Oh, you didn't tell him, did you? We got back together at her birthday party." "So- so you have a boyfriend?" Sam looked so guilty but more sorry for herself than the two livid boys standing in front of her. "You gotta choose, Sam. Me or him?" 

"Miguel, you can't just make me choose!" She exclaimed, eyebrows knit together in confusion. She glanced from Miguel's broken expression to Robby's impatient one. "Of course you have to choose! You can't be with both of us! CHOOSE! ME OR HIM?" Miguel thundered, the blood rushing to his head. He wanted nothing more than to end Robby Keene right here, right now. But he remembered what Sensei and Lauren would say. Show mercy. Besides Robby Keene was Sensei Lawrence's son.

Robby laid a protective arm around Sam's shoulder. "It's okay, Sam. You can choose whoever you'd like to be with. If it isn't me, I'll gladly accept it and bow out of your life," he said in a gentle, comforting voice while shooting Miguel a death glare the whole time which his rival gladly returned. 

"So, Sam, who will it be?"


	21. Love and Hate

Lauren waited in the car, wondering what was taking Miguel so long. Singing along to Galway Girl by Ed Sheeran, she peered out of the window to see any sign of him. "What, did he get invited for dinner or something?" She wondered aloud. "No, he invited himself to get his heart broken." She turned around to see a much more sullen Miguel get into the passenger seat. "What's wrong?" "Sam chose Robby Keene over me. She said it to my face." Lauren looked at him in horror. Everything made sense now! Sam had been trying to distance herself from Lauren so Lauren wouldn't come over to her house and see her with Robby! This was crazy. It had been three weeks since Lauren and Miguel had made up, but she had been holding herself back. Until now, that is. "Tell me everything." Miguel did, in between sobs and, "I'll kill Keene the next time I see him!" Lauren sighed. Miguel didn't deserve this. Samantha LaRusso used him, to put it simply. "Miguel, I'm so sorry. I don't know why she would choose Robby Keene over you, I don't. You deserve someone so much better. Someone who loves you, no matter what. I never thought Sam would have such selfish motives, but there's nothing we can do about it. All you can do is move on, and live your life."

"But she looked so happy with him! She looked like she didn't even need me, and here I am, still loving her. Am I shameless or what?" Believe it or not, I've been asking myself this question every single day.

By this time, they had reached Lauren's house. Her ankle was much better so she limped to the door with Miguel. "Why did it have to happen to me? Why not Robby Keene? What does she see in him that I don't have? Tell me, Lauren, why?" 

Lauren hated seeing him like this, her best friend was in pieces. She wanted to tell him how she felt, but that would be selfish of her. She pulled him closer to her, patting his back gently. "It hurts, I know. Love sucks, and it sucks even more when you can't stop loving someone you know will never love you back." She just ended up telling him everything she told herself to refrain from admitting her feelings for him. It took days for Miguel to come to terms with the fact that Sam was no longer a part of his life. He was no longer a part of hers. Lauren could take no more. The next time she saw Sam, she lashed out at her. "How dare you?" "What?" "How dare you do that to Miguel? It was part of your plan, wasn't it? Distancing yourself from me so that I don't discover what you had going on with Robby? You're despicable, Samantha LaRusso, do you know that?" Sam's eyes showed not a hint of guilt. "Well, you must be happy now." "Why?" "I did it for you. I told him how you feel about him." Lauren's face fell. "Why would you do that? I thought that was between us!" "I guess there is no 'us' anymore." Lauren knew there was no point. Some kind of jealousy had fuelled her to go ahead and destroy the ones who care about her the most. This is what she always feared would happen to herself. Get jealous of someone, with no reason to be, and then ruin everything you have with them, only to regret it long after they're gone. "You know what? Enjoy your new life. Congratulations on Robby. I'm out." 

* * *

More time passed, and Miguel seemed to recover slowly but surely. One such Wednesday evening, as they walked along the beach, Miguel decided to bring up the question he'd been itching to ask Lauren. "So, the other day, Sam said some stuff about you..." "Yeah, so?" "She might have mentioned that you were jealous of our relationship." He saw Lauren's footsteps slow down beside him. "What makes her think so?" "She said that you- you liked me?" Lauren drew in a sharp breath. This was bound to happen. "I need to go. I'll catch you tomorrow, bye!" She ran off in the other direction, leaving Miguel puzzled. He was left wondering what the conversation would have been like if she hadn't run away. What if she did like him? What would he say? He wasn't sure how he felt about her. There was a small part of him that wanted to ask her out from the start, while the rest of him protested violently, insisting that they could never be what he and Sam were. Lauren was no Sam, was she? She was unique in her own way, but she wouldn't be able to fill the void Sam left. Would she? 

Lauren avoided the topic at all costs, so whenever he tried to bring it up, she always had an absurd excuse to leave immediately. Eventually, she started avoiding him altogether, fearful of what he would think of the truth. Miguel didn't understand why she was so defensive about the topic. Who cares? If you have feelings for someone, you do! You just do! What's the big deal in admitting that?

For Lauren, however, it was a very big deal. What she felt for Miguel was much deeper than any high school crush. It was something she didn't know how to describe. Besides, her last experiences with confessions had gone horribly wrong, not helping her confidence this time around. She knew Miguel wasn't the type to ditch her just because he didn't like her back, but what if he did? 

After all, the world is full of possibilities.

* * *

Two more months. The same thing every day. Miguel didn't broach the topic so often anymore, but she still maintained a painful distance from him. Meanwhile, the distance between her and Sam was, well, distant. They never spoke unless they absolutely had to, that is, if they were paired up in class or something. Miguel claimed that he was over Sam, but it still hurt like an open wound. It stung.


	22. Wishes

And just like that, the school year came to an end. The students flocked out, glad that they wouldn't have to even look at that menacing building till September. Among the flocks of happy teenagers, there was one that was anything but. You guessed it, Miss Lauren Wilson. 

She hated that she was avoiding Miguel for something as stupid as what Sam told him. It was true, yes, but she was too scared to admit it. Lauren was a gifted musician, she could play the piano and guitar, and had a beautiful singing voice. At least, that's what everyone told her. The minute she heard a recording of herself singing, she'd delete it in less than ten seconds. "Why are you so ashamed of your voice? You're so talented, Lauren, use it! Don't throw it away!" That's what Miguel had told her once, and she had consciously been making an effort to sing more often after that. A lot of her friends suggested that she post covers of popular songs on YouTube, but she knew her parents would never go along with it. To them, music could be a hobby, a passion even, but never what she could do with her life. "There's a reason it's called a dream job," they would tell her, "only a few people get lucky enough to do it. The rest have to do whatever they can to earn their living." Lauren would protest, and say that luck only takes a person so far, it's the hard work they put in that makes all the difference. Besides, isn't loving what you do important? Who wants to go to work every day and do something you hate? Nobody. But in the end, that's what everyone ends up doing. When she made this point to her parents, they had an answer ready for her. "Exactly! That's because when it comes down to it, all that matters is that you're able to pay your bills. If everyone decided to pursue their dream jobs, you wouldn't have such nice things that you take for granted every day!" Yep, they never missed an opportunity to point out her faults. Classic parents. 

She contemplated starting a YouTube channel without her parents' knowledge. Who knows, maybe she could get recognised as an artist and someday accompany someone famous on tour! It was a long shot, but that's how 5SOS rose to fame. They supported One Direction on tour, imagine that, _One Direction_. After that, it was all uphill for the quartet from Australia. Lauren could go on about them for hours and hours, but none of her friends liked them. They thought they were famous only for their looks and not their music. Sure, they did look good, very good, but the talent they had in them was enormous. Soon, Lauren drifted into a daydream about supporting 5SOS on tour someday. Somewhere in between, she snapped back to reality and laughed at herself. "You've never even been to one of their concerts, forget touring with them!" Nevertheless, she decided to start working on her future career as a musician, starting with a YouTube channel, of course. She considered using her real name, but what if her parents found her out? Nope, too risky. How about _CrazyForIrwin_? No way, imagine Ashton Irwin saw that! That would just be creepy. She spent the afternoon making a list of potential aliases, but none of them had that feel to them. You know, like Halsey. Most people didn't even know that her real name was Ashley Frangipane! It was catchy, it was something unique.

 _Something unique_. That's what she needed! Her personal touch, something that nobody else could replicate. Unfortunately, her mind just refused to process ideas. After a few days of thinking, she decided on the name The Secret Studios for her channel. After all, she was keeping it a secret for now. She had realized that stage names or aliases just weren't her thing. She wanted to be known by her name, for what she did. A stage name would mean creating a whole different person on stage, who would be the one everyone knew. Not Lauren Wilson. Nobody would even know the name Lauren Wilson. Some might call it narcissistic, but she didn't care. Since it was summer break and she had nothing but time, she shut herself in her room for hours at length in an attempt to write her own songs. It was an excruciatingly slow process: First, the words wouldn't come out. When they did, they sounded like nursery rhymes. This went on for a week until impatience got the better of her. She decided to put songwriting aside and record her first cover. Her very first one needed to be memorable. Something that would make an impact, yet something close to her heart. The first song that came to her mind was Little Do You Know by Alex and Sierra. It was a beautiful song about a rocky relationship, where they were willing to wait for each other, and not end it. 

_I'll wait, I'll wait, I love you like you've never felt the pain, I'll wait_

_I promise you don't have to be afraid, I'll wait_

_Love is here and here to stay_

_So lay your head on me_

As she played the final chord and finished the recording, she realised something. This sounded an awful lot like what Miguel had said over the phone while apologizing for what happened at the All Valley. The words came right back to her in an instant.

_"No trophy is more precious than the friendship we had. I'd give anything to get you to forgive me, but I know it's not so easy. And I'll wait. I'll wait for you, whenever you're ready. When you can trust me again, and I'll never give you a reason to doubt me ever again. I'm sorry I let you down, I'm sorry I behaved that way, and I'm sorry I hurt you."_

She looked back at their friendship. It had been rocky, it had had its ups and downs. After everything, they had managed to make up and were slowly growing closer again when Lauren selfishly chose to distance herself from him rather than tell him the truth. And there he was, waiting like he said he would. This is exactly what she hated Sam for, this is exactly what Sam did and broke Miguel's heart, and here she was doing it all over again. She felt terrible about herself. "You know what, Lauren? You've stalled quite enough." She said to herself in an exasperated voice. "You've been facing your fears and working towards your dreams. You're posting videos of yourself singing without your parents' knowledge, which could go wrong, but hey, you're following your heart! So why not do the same, face your fears and follow your heart! Go tell Miguel how you feel. Today!" She got up with a determination and confidence that she hadn't felt in a while. She ed his phone, hoping that he would answer. "Hey, can we talk?" "Sure, I've been meaning to for a while."

He's been meaning to talk for a while? What was that supposed to mean? She hesitated for a moment, but the pep talk she just gave herself won her over and she made her way towards their spot at the beach, where they had agreed to meet. If only he felt the same...

What did Miguel want to talk about? Well, she was about to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you think Miguel x Lauren will work out? Let me know what you think! Thanks for sticking around for this long, I can't wait to share the next few chapters with you guys!


	23. Matters Of The Heart

"Miguel, listen, before you say anything, let me speak." "Uh, okay, yeah go for it." "Do you promise you won't hate me after what I have to say?" "Why would I hate you?" "Just promise me." "I promise." Lauren took a deep breath. She was doing this. "So, I should have told you this long, long ago, but I just couldn't bring myself to." She paused to look at Miguel, who was looking at her expectantly. "We've been friends for almost a year now, and we've been through a lot together. I'm just going to cut it short here, and get straight to the point... because I'm scared I'll run away if I stall any longer. I like you Miguel, a lot. And I know you don't feel the same; you probably never will but I've kept this to myself for way too long and I'll probably explode if I don't get it off my chest. I tried my best to not have feelings for you because you were with Sam and everything but that day at the movies when you kissed me to get away from that creepy guy... I just knew. And I've felt that way ever since." She stopped for breath, her feet shuffling nervously. She couldn't bring herself to look up at him. Meanwhile, Miguel didn't know what to say. This was partly what Sam told him, but he had been sure she was just being spiteful. So, this confession hit him like a ton of bricks. There had been one point in his life a few months ago when all he could think of was Lauren. But that was long ago. Before he and Sam made up. Before he created a rift between them at the All Valley. He hadn't ever considered him and Lauren together, though. 

"Oh. Okay." That was all he could bring himself to say. He watched as her hopeful, anxious brown eyes flicked up to meet his and then dropped down again, disappointed. "So, you don't hate me?" Miguel frowned. "Why would I?" "I don't know. Your best friend ends up having feelings for you that you don't reciprocate, you don't see the two of you as anything more than friends but she drops this bombshell on you-" _It's not that I don't feel the same... it's just that I don't think I'm ready._ Miguel fumbled for the words as Lauren continued on her rant. _Would starting afresh be so bad?_ He cleared his throat. "It's not that I don't feel the same..." But Lauren didn't hear him. "-I've been here before. It never ended well, and they ended up not wanting to be friends with me anymore. So if that's the case, just tell me. I understand, like, totally understand because it might be so awkward and-" " _Lauren_!" He said again, a little harshly. She finally stopped. Thank goodness. Her dark-haired head shot up, defensiveness wrote all over her face as if mentally preparing herself to hear what she was certain she would. "What?" "I said, it's not that I don't feel the same." He said, in a gentler tone. Her eyes widened, at first in shock, and then the smile grew wider than he had ever seen. "You mean that?" Miguel nodded. "Why else would I say that?" "Really? Like, you're not saying it just like that or anything..." "Lauren, I mean it!" "Oh-" The colour rushed to her cheeks. She couldn't believe this was actually happening. _Now or never, Lauren._

"Will you go out with me, then?" "I-" Miguel wasn't expecting that. He didn't want to let go of Sam so easily, though she had long forgotten him. Maybe it would be a welcome change. Maybe, moving on would do him some good. Besides, this was Lauren Wilson. She wasn't a stranger; they knew each other inside out. Who knew, maybe it could work out. "Yeah, sure, let's do it." 

"Wow, are you kidding me?" "Why, you don't believe me?" "I- I do! It's just, I didn't expect you to say yes." "But I did. Did you not want me to say yes?" "Of course I did. Why would I ask you otherwise?" "So, Friday?" "Definitely." Lauren pounced on him, enveloping him into possibly the tightest hug ever. "This is the best day of my life." She whispered into his shoulder. Miguel chuckled to himself. He had never seen Lauren so giddily happy about anything ever before; she was normally quite composed. Was that how much he meant to her? "Lauren?" "Mhm?" "Let me pick where we go, okay?" "Yeah, okay."

* * *

Date night was upon them, and Lauren could barely sit still for a minute. She would lie on her back, trying to figure where Miguel wanted to take her that day, and then just run downstairs and yell, "I'm going out tonight!" at the empty house and run back upstairs and begin to play a song in the piano but stop halfway because she was just so distracted. Every moment was spent thinking of Miguel Diaz, and finally, she wasn't dreaming of something she couldn't have. It seemed surreal. Most of the day was spent in this peaceful manner. At about four in the evening, she heard the door unlock. Probably her dad. He usually came home earlier than her mom, who worked quite late sometimes. Still, he was home early today.

"Julia? Julia! JULIA!" Lauren hurried downstairs to see why her dad was shouting. "Whoa, dad, what's wrong?" "Where's your mother?" Lauren frowned at the odd question. "She's at work, like always. Do you need anything?" "Yes. I need a few documents that I asked your mother to keep for me long ago, and she promised to find it by today. I need them by tomorrow but she isn't even answering her phone!" "Wow, uh, calm down. She's probably in a meeting or something. She'll call back when she gets a chance, alright?" "You don't get it! I need those right now! She promised that she'd be home early and keep them ready for me. Why doesn't she understand how important it is?" And just like that, her father lapsed into an exasperatingly long list of complaints about her mother, which Lauren found pathetic when either of them did it. Either they ganged up against her, or they went at each other. Why wouldn't they just calm down and behave like a normal family? Like Miguel's family, for instance. He didn't have a dad, unfortunately, but his mother and grandmother never seemed to raise their voices with each other. Not once in the millions of times she'd been to their place. But here? A mere statement from one would be misunderstood as a taunt by the other and then voilà, let the arrows fly! They had been on the verge of arguing when her friends were over many times, but Lauren would hastily change the subject and her friends didn't notice. At least, they pretended not to notice.

An hour later, her mom burst in, visibly exhausted. "Sorry honey, I know I'm late, but I got pulled into a meeting at the last minute, then the car broke down on the way home so I had to wait for them to tow it away to the body shop, and then the taxi I called couldn't get the location right." She wasn't lying, because she was dripping wet from the brief but heavy downpour they had had an hour or two ago. Her dad looked up from his laptop just to say, "Did you find the documents?" "No, not yet. I will, though. Just give me some time." "How much time could you possibly want? I need them by tomorrow, so I need to have them by tonight!" "Okay, okay. Let me get changed first." "Why are you so late?" "I just told you, I didn't get back late on purpose!" "But you should've found the folder before you left!" "You told me about it just this morning, Rob!" "So what? I need it by tomorrow!" "Why do you need it anyway? It's been months since you gave them to me to keep somewhere, and even then you said you didn't need them!" "But I need them now, okay?" "Fine, come help me look for it!" "Why should I? You're the one that kept it, you should know!" "I don't remember where I put it, it's been months like I just said! Besides, I have a conference call in an hour!" "Not before you hand me my folder!" "Who are you to determine that?" "You promised that you'd find it!" "Yes, and I will!" "So do it!" "ROB! For god's sake, I have a job too, which is just as important as yours. So stop throwing your weight around and help me out!"

Lauren could sense that it was going to get ugly, so she used the opportunity to go upstairs and change for her date. She chose a plain, sleeveless orange georgette dress that was just above her knees, with her trusty white belt across the waist. She slipped on white ballerina flats and star-shaped earrings that hung from her ears. She did her hair in a high ponytail, which she then proceeded to braid and decided to pull out a few strands of hair near her temples to frame her face. She thought she looked bald when she didn't do that. She wasn't a makeup person, so just a coat of lip gloss, and she was good to go. Just then, her phone rang. It was from Miguel. A current of a crazy feeling she couldn't explain ran through her veins as she answered the call. "Hello?" "Hey, are you ready to go, or do you need time for manicures and stuff?" Miguel's cheeky voice teased, and she could see the smirk on his face just judging by his tone. "Nope, I'm all good to go. Where do we meet?" "We don't." "What?" But he already hung up. What was he planning? She checked the time. Six-thirty. 

She cautiously made her way down, and sure enough, there her parents were, arguing their heads off. She sighed and flopped down onto the sofa, scrolling through her phone. She tried calling Miguel, but he just didn't answer. "Julia, I can't believe-" Someone rang the doorbell, and Lauren got up to answer it, seeing as how her parents haven't even noticed that she was in the room. She rolled her eyes in frustration as she opened the door. In an instant, her frown was turned upside down when she saw Miguel standing there with his usual tight-lipped smile plastered to his face. His lips parted in a gasp as he looked at his best friend standing in front of him. "Wow, you look- you look amazing." Lauren blushed. "Thanks, you look great too." Miguel, on the other hand, was dressed like he did every day, but she thought he looked stunning anyway. Black graphic tee, dark blue jeans with the addition of a red leather jacket she had never seen before. "Hey, cool jacket. I've never seen it before." He grinned. "It's Sensei's. Badass, right?" "Yeah- yeah, sure." Lauren never liked it when his inner Cobra Kai came out, but she wasn't going to let his little macho man ego ruin what she had been waiting for, for the past year. 

"So, let's go? You're going to love-" he was interrupted by Lauren's parents going at each other inside. "Why don't you come in for a second?" She dragged him in and announced a little louder than she would have liked, "MOM, DAD, LOOK WHO'S HERE!" She said, emphasizing every word. As soon as they caught sight of Miguel, they took the hint and quietened down. "Hey Miguel, looking sharp!" Mr Wilson said, and his wife said something along the same lines. "Have fun, you two. Be back before eleven o'clock!" _So you have plenty of time to fight!_ Lauren laughed as the thought popped up. "What's funny?" Miguel asked. "Oh, nothing. I'll grab the keys." "No, don't. We're not taking the car." "We're not?" "Nope. Now, let's go!" 

They took the subway instead, and Lauren had no idea where they were headed. Finally, after changing multiple lines and walking quite a bit, Miguel announced triumphantly, "We're here." Lauren looked at the seemingly normal café in front of her, until her eyes found its name. 

_The Pup-arazzi Café_. Miguel heard her breath hitch beside him as he smiled knowingly. Lauren loved dogs just as much as she loved music, and though she didn't have a dog of her own, she was one to watch around them. "Miguel, what is this place?" "You'll see." They made their way in just to have a Shih Tzu pup bound towards them. Lauren immediately crouched down with an intimate softness in her eyes that one never saw otherwise. She fondled the pup and spoke to it lovingly as it reciprocated by licking her hands. Miguel hung back, though. He liked dogs, but not as much as his best friend. His best friend who was on a date with him. His girlfriend? No, not yet. Five minutes became ten and Miguel finally let out a groan as he said, "Lauren, we're literally blocking the entrance!" "But look, _just look_ at this little guy! Isn't he precious?" Miguel laughed. "He is. And you'll see him and his friends around the whole time we're here. Can we please just find somewhere to sit? I'm hungry." Lauren laughed too and gave in. "I agree with you on that." 

The ambience of the place was just as great as it seemed from the outside. Pop music played softly through the speakers as the dark coloured walls were lined with pictures of different dog breeds and their traits. The comfortable egg chairs complemented the colourful tables that were in contrasting colours, at the perfect level to eat from, but high enough out of the dogs' reach. Breeds of small dogs from around the world roamed freely around the café, each complete with a name embroidered on the collar. They were left free but ensured that they weren't a disturbance to the customers. The food was delicious as well; everything on the menu cleverly disguised with a dog pun.

* * *

"So, how was it?" "Miguel, that could pass off as the best date ever!" "Better than your previous ones?" Lauren frowned. "I've never had previous ones." Miguel was taken aback by her response. "You've never been on a date before?" "Nope." She stated, popping the 'p'. An uncomfortable silence followed, which Miguel broke with an awkward laugh. "That was fun, huh?" "Yeah! Except, I think I liked the dogs' more than you." "Come on! You're kidding!" "No." "Yes, you are!" "Okay, okay, I am!"


	24. Dojo Wars

"I don't get it! Why do you want to spend time with the Miyagi-Dos?" Tory asked Lauren as she politely declined an invitation to hang out at the mall with her and the Cobra Kais. "Look, I'm not on good terms with Sam, but our families have no idea. And I want to keep it that way." "So what, it's a tea party?" Lauren scoffed. "What do you think we are, six?" Tory rolled her eyes. "What? I have no idea what you rich princesses do to entertain yourselves." "Hey! I'm almost always with you guys! And I'm not a spoilt rich brat or anything!" Tory smirked. "You could be!" "You know I'm not." "Yeah, I'm just messing with you." Tory and Lauren had gotten quite close as the summer progressed. Things were going well with Miguel, too. "Hey, I hope you're not talking about me!" Miguel crept up behind them as he settled down between the girls. "And why would we waste our time doing that?" Tory asked, as Miguel playfully punched her, which she blocked with ease. Lauren checked her watch. "I should go." "So soon?" Miguel asked, unaware of her plans. "Where to? I'll come too." Lauren bit her lip. "I don't think you're going to want to come. I'm going for lunch with my parents and the LaRussos." "But I thought you and Sam aren't talking?" "We aren't. But I don't want to ruin it for our parents. Sounds cliche, I know, but my parents don't need enemies. They're enough." This last part she said under her breath, more to herself than anyone else. 

"What?" "Nothing. My point is, I need to go." "You don't sound too happy about it." "I'm not." Lauren did everything she could to stay away from home whenever her parents were at home. The simplest of things, like who left the water running evolved into full-blown fights. And when her parents were at work, she used the time to record content for her YouTube channel. So far, she had gained a little more than fifty subscribers in a month. It wasn't much, but to her it was. Reading positive comments about her work made her day. Of course, there were a few haters, but she didn't take them to heart. 

"Lauren?" Miguel's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Yeah?" "Do you want to go out in the evening?" Her face lit up immediately. "I'd love to!" "Nothing fancy, just mini-golf or something." Mini-golf. That's what Miguel and Sam always did. Don't get jealous. You don't have to anymore. "Yeah, I'll see you there at six?" "Great." "So, you guys are dating now?" Tory cooed, smiling at the awkwardness. "Um, yeah? No, I'm- we're not sure. Maybe?" Lauren didn't know where she and Miguel stood. They were definitely more than friends now, but not officially "dating" yet. She badly wanted to ask him about it, but she decided that it was too pushy. Transitioning from best friend to girlfriend must be... weird? They had been going out every once in a while for a month now, and even when they weren't, they were mostly together if Miguel wasn't at karate. Their relationship as best friends didn't go anywhere; it just had an added dimension to it. Well, it would, once the two of them figure things out. Sometimes, Lauren would drop in with Miguel to say hello to Sensei Lawrence, who didn't mind having her around. As for Kreese, Johnny had realized his motives and had fired him. Thank goodness. 

* * *

"Hey, Lauren! We thought you weren't coming!" Daniel waved towards an empty seat beside Sam at the restaurant the two families decided to rendezvous in. "Hi sweetheart, how's it going?" "Hey Daniel, Amanda. I'm great!" She purposely ignored Daniel's gesture and sat on the other side of the table, between her mother and Amanda. Sam shot a sullen glare at her, which she was dying to return, but didn't. "You girls haven't hung out in a while. It's summer now, so I guess neither of you is busy. Planning something today?" Lauren looked at Sam and then back at Amanda. "I have plans today evening. I'm hanging out with my friend." "Oh no, she's going out with her boyfriend!" Mrs Wilson said in a sing-song voice. "Mom, no!" Lauren didn't want to start a dojo war right here by revealing to the LaRussos that she was going out with Miguel. Miguel, Sam's ex. Not that she was scared of Sam or anything. She just didn't want to ruin the peaceful atmosphere. "Oh wow, who is it?" Amanda prodded, smiling playfully. Even Sam looked up from her phone at the mention of Lauren's boyfriend. "He's not exactly my boyfriend yet, but, yeah." "Who is it?" Even Daniel was interested now. She began to say it, but her father beat her to it. "It's that kid called Miguel." "The one from Cobra Kai? The Mexican who played dirty against Robby?" Daniel flared up immediately. "He's from Ecuador." Lauren and Sam said at the same time, but there was still no love lost between them. 

"How's Robby, Sam?" Lauren asked, with a hint of malice in her voice. Sam tensed up at the mention of her current beau. "He's fine, I guess." "You train with him, don't you?" She said, emphasizing the word 'train'. "Y-yeah. So?" Lauren gave her a long stare that said, "You used him. He loved you so much. You're pathetic." Instead, all she said was, "Nothing. Just asking." "You should be careful, Lauren. He's dangerous." Lauren raised an eyebrow at Daniel's words. "No, he's not." "Why are you even hanging out with the Cobra Kais? Stay away from them. You should join Miyagi-Do. We could use a good fighter like you." Lauren sighed. Not this again. "No, thanks, Mr LaRusso. I can choose who I hang out with, and I know that they're all nice people, Mr Lawrence included. If only you'd both let go of this stupid rivalry that's already ancient, maybe you'd see that too." Her parents gave her a look asking her to back down. Lauren wasn't planning to. She would defend Miguel from anyone, even her own family. Besides, who was Daniel LaRusso to try and parent her? She was seventeen, get the hint. Daniel lashed back as well. "Don't you remember what condition he left you in at the All Valley? It wasn't too long ago, you know." "He made a mistake. We all do. At least he apologized for it multiple times. You didn't, after attacking Cobra Kai in your commercial." "Well, your boyfriend vandalized my dojo!" That was it. The last straw. "He didn't! He would never do that! He's the one who returned the Medal of Honour." Daniel scoffed. "No way. Demetri found it in the yard." 

Lauren laughed. How tragic. "Why don't you ask your daughter? Or maybe she doesn't remember because she was too busy cheating on her boyfriend with your live-in guest!" Lauren knew she went too far, but she didn't regret it. Sam deserved it. She was the epitome of spoilt rich kids, the type that Tory detested. "Sam, what does she mean?" Sam refused anything of the sort, claiming that Lauren was lying. "Anyway, I have somewhere else to be. If you'll excuse me." Lauren left the restaurant, seething visibly. "Sam, honey, you had a boyfriend? Why didn't you introduce him to us? Did you really cheat on him?" Amanda bombarded her with questions she simply didn't want to answer. "Mom, she's crazy and doesn't know what she's talking about." Daniel blindly sided with his daughter as the Wilsons exchanged uncomfortable glances. Just then, Sam's phone chimed with a text. She read it and smiled to herself. "Sam, who are you texting?" "No one. Just Robby." "Let me see." "No, Dad, please!" "Sam, you're not doing anything wrong, are you?" "Of course not! It's just Robby, I swear!" "Then show me!" Daniel snatched his daughter's phone from her and his eyes widened in shock. 

Robby ❤   
**Today** 3:43 PM   
Hey.   
  
heyyy!!   
  
I think we should tell your parents about us.   
  
nononononono robby NO!   
  
But why?   
  
because my dad will freak out   
  
How are you so sure? Did he freak out when you told him about miguel?   
  
he doesn't know about miguel..   
  
Ok I get it because he's cobra kai. But mr larusso likes me!!!! Why won't you agree?? I'm tired of hiding   
  
robby please just listen to me. i need some time.   
  
Ok fine. Love you!❤️   
  
you're the best. ily more😍   
  


"You're- you're with Robby?" Daniel sputtered, incredulous. "Why didn't you tell me? He's Johnny Lawrence's son! He lives with us, Sam! What if, what if he tries something?" Sam looked at her father, lost for words. "Daniel, it's okay. Robby's a good kid, don't worry so much!" Amanda, being the peacemaker she was, tried to ease the pressure. "No, Amanda, you don't get it!" "Daniel, Amanda, I think we should get going. It was nice catching up." The Wilsons took their leave right before things got ugly. Which they did. Just as the glass door slid back into place behind them, they could see Sam's eyes brimming with tears. Oh boy, it had begun.


	25. Say It Out Loud

Miguel couldn't sleep. He didn't know why, or what was bothering him. For him, life was good. By now, he was certain he had something with Lauren, something that could numb the pain from Sam. Both girls were quite similar, in all honesty, but Lauren had this ferocity and fighting spirit that Sam lacked. She wasn't the submissive type, and if she didn't like what someone said to her, she made sure they were aware of it. The girl spoke her mind, and her tough, independent persona made it hard for anyone to take advantage of her. She was always on her guard, that is, except with Miguel. He was the only one who had seen her with her walls down when she was at her most emotionally vulnerable. 

And she let him. She trusted him more than she trusted herself. She knew that Miguel would be there to break her fall even if she felt sure she deserved the wound. And Miguel knew that she would stay up all night for him if he needed her to. She was the safety pin that slowly but surely held the pieces of his broken heart together. Before he knew it, he found himself dialling her number. It rang for a while, then went straight to voicemail. "Hey, Lauren, I know you're probably sleeping now so it's stupid of me to have called or to be leaving this message, but I can't sleep. I don't know why, but something just doesn't feel right. You're not going to see this till the morning anyway, so don't bother calling back." Less than ten minutes later, his phone rang.

"Lauren? Why are you awake?" "You should know. You're the one that woke me up." Lauren's groggy voice on the other end made it clear that she had been sleeping peacefully before he called. She sat up in bed. "Anyway, what's up?" "I don't know. Something just doesn't feel right, but I don't know what it is." "What do you mean? Is something troubling you?" "Uh, I don't know." "Come on, you know you can tell me." "I seriously don't know. Maybe it's the whole dojo rivalry thing that's unsettling me because Sensei just hasn't been the same. Oh, and speaking of Sensei, I have to tell you something. Just promise you won't tell anyone." "You know I won't. Now shoot." "So, you know that Robby Keene is Sensei's son, right?" "Yep. I've known since before you did." "What? How?" "It was by accident. Besides, that's not important. Go on." 

"The day after the All Valley, Sensei was hard on me and Hawk for playing dirty against Keene. He went on and on about how there's a difference between mercy and honour, and all that." "Yeah, so?" "A few days later, we found out that Keene was his son and we decided to confront Sensei about it. It didn't go so well, but Sensei said that he was only doing what's best for me." Lauren laughed. "Of course he was. That man loves you like a son!" "He does?" "Yep, and he's like a father to you. Don't even deny it." Miguel didn't deny it; it was true. He hadn't felt this safe around anyone in his whole life than what he felt when he was around Johnny Lawrence. He would blindly do anything Johnny told him to because he trusted him. No questions asked.

"Anyways, I keep drifting off-topic. That evening, Sensei took me for a 'drive' but he ended up confessing all his failures as a parent to me. About how he never got to the-" Be stopped abruptly. "Never got to the what?" "Nothing. It's personal stuff, so I don't think I should be telling anyone, even if it's you." Lauren nodded. "Yeah, I get it." "But what about it?" "After everything that he said, I can't help but feel like I've been stealing Keene's life." "What?" "No, not literally. I mean, this bond I have with Sensei, his dad, I just see this look on his face whenever he sees the two of us together. I was never bothered about it before, but now, I feel like I'm just taking away what's rightfully Keene's. He has a dad, but the dad ends up spending more time with me, his student, than he ever will with his son. And then there's me, who just latched on to Sensei because I've never had anything close to a father figure before. I just, I feel like I'm doing something wrong." 

Lauren stayed silent for a while. This was deep stuff, to say the least. Yes, Johnny Lawrence shared a father-son relationship with Miguel, but was that really so bad? Yes, Mr Lawrence had a damaged relationship with his son, Robby Keene, but from nowhere was that Miguel's fault. It had been that way for all the seventeen years of Robby's life, and Miguel had come into the picture a lot later. "Miguel, why are you even guilty? It's not your fault, even you know that." "But, I can't shake off the feeling that somehow, I'm coming between Sensei and Keene." "Miguel, Miguel, Miguel, stop overthinking things for once! You're not coming between anyone or anything. You have your thing with Mr Lawrence, and that's a good thing. You never knew your dad, but now you found your Sensei, and that's great for both of you. As for Robby Keene, whatever happened between them is a family thing that didn't have anything to do with you. Besides, it was a long time ago. It's never a crime to love someone because no one can take that hope away from you." 

"So, I'm not doing anything wrong?" "Nope, you're just being stupid." "Thanks, Lauren. That really helped." "I'm glad it did. Or we would've been sitting up at 2 am for nothing." Miguel smiled to himself. What would he do without Lauren Wilson? "Lauren?" "Yeah?" "Will you be my girlfriend?" He mumbled into the phone, but he was sure she heard it anyway. Lauren didn't say anything. She felt her cheeks warm up as her smile widened." "Wait, what? Say that again!" He spoke up, a little louder this time. "I said, will you be my girlfriend?" "Hell yeah, I will! Now go back to sleep."  


* * *

"How dare you? I heard that! Say it again, out loud!" "Why, can't you hear?" "I heard what you said under your breath. Say it again, to my face!" "I said that you're an irresponsible, controlling hypocrite!" "Jules, you had better watch it!" "No, don't 'Jules' me! You don't get to order me around, give me an earful about working late, and then blow off our plans because you forgot about your meetings!" Lauren's eyes widened in terror as her mother's screaming voice drifted through the closed door of her room. They had been fighting way too much off late, and it was beginning to bother Lauren. She was just hoping things wouldn't get physical. That hadn't happened yet, and she prayed that it never would. She contemplated going downstairs to try and salvage the situation, but she decided against it. Every time she had butted in, it ended up getting worse. It had been almost two months since her big decision to start a YouTube channel, and she was glad she did. It was a creative outlet, helped her forget about her crazy home. She motivated herself with the hopes that it would eventually pay off and she'd have a professional career in music. It was what she wanted to do with her life, but the first and most important step loomed over her. Convincing her parents. They would never agree. To them, music was nothing more than a hobby. A side job, at best. Of course, if they didn't agree, Lauren didn't plan on giving up on her dream. But that was a thought for later. Now, she just wanted to make sure they didn't kill each other. 

She hurried down, only to find her father angrily slam his laptop shut while her mother brought out pots and pans much more noisily than needed as she prepped for dinner, though it was very late for that. Phrases were muttered under their breaths with cynical glares shot at each other. "Um, guys? Is everything okay?" She regretted asking the question the instant the words left her mouth. They both lapsed into overlapping torrents of complaints, excuses and accusations. Eventually, Lauren pressed her hands against her ears and screamed, "STOP IT! STOP IT, I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" It worked, and her parents stared at her, trying to find something to say. "THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!"

Lauren grabbed her phone and headphones and stormed out of the house. A few minutes of air drumming seemed to do a world of good to her stressed-out mind. "I don't get it. What's there to argue about every two seconds? Has this really been going on for twenty years?" "What's been going on for twenty years?" Lauren found Tory making herself comfortable on the sand. "Nothing, I was just talking to myself," Lauren shot her a quick smile and struggled to change the subject of conversation. "Come on, just one look at your face confirms that it's not nothing." Lauren hesitated. How well did she even know this girl? Two months weren't enough to be spilling out her troubles at home to the girl beside her. "Um, just generally irritated, that's all." Tory didn't look in the least convinced. "Let me guess. Trouble at home?" "Um..." "Look, you can tell me. I've been there. And I know how to keep a secret." "It's just that, my parents have always been arguing about little things, but that lasted only a few minutes before they went back to being their jovial selves. These days, they just don't seem to stop, and it scares me." Lauren managed to explain it to her without revealing too many details. Tory nodded, possibly in understanding. "How bad does it get?" "I don't know. Worse each time." She sighed sadly. "Then maybe it's time," Tory said, softly laying a hand on her shoulder. "Time? Time for what?" "For them to go their separate ways." Her jaw dropped. "Don't say that! Anything but that."

"You know, I never knew my biological father, but when I was nine, my mother remarried. My new stepfather was probably the man I'd dreamt of all that while; he was tall and good looking, he was so kind and actually loved me like a daughter. He would bring me doughnuts on the way home from work every Tuesday and often let me have his doughnut too. He helped me with my homework and actually even did it for me when I broke my wrist. My mom, my brother and I loved him to death and for a few years, I had the picture-perfect family." Tory paused and smiled as she reminisced all the good times she was telling Lauren about. "What happened next?" "A few months after I turned thirteen, he was offered a promotion and we moved here to LA. He never consulted or asked my mother for her opinion on the move, though he assured me that she was okay with it. Turns out, she hadn't even asked her firm if they had a branch in LA. She had to quit her job, and soon after we moved, my stepdad lost control of himself. He started smoking and drinking way too often and was barely home anymore. When he was home, all he would do was fight. Eventually, it got out of hand and they decided to call it quits." "Oh Tory, I'm sorry." The older girl laughed. "Thanks, but it was a long time ago. Of course, my thirteen-year-old world came crashing down, and I thought things would never be alright again. Every time they fought, I got so scared that I'd go to bed crying nearly every night. Now that I look back, it was just a stroke of bad luck. My mom got a new job soon after, and she has long since moved on. She's been flying solo ever since, but she's strong and it's nice to see her happy again."

Lauren had never thought that the tough, ruthless alpha female of Cobra Kai had this sensitive side to her. "Lauren, these things happen sometimes, and it's not your fault. Things just don't work out between them anymore, and that's when you need to let go. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but if it needs to be done, then it needs to be done." Lauren nodded. "Thanks, Tory. Thank you so much." Tory pulled her in for a hug, and Lauren gladly returned it. "I still hope they don't decide to split." "Me too. Let's hope for the best, yeah?" "Yeah."


	26. First Timers

"Miguel, I have to show you something. Are you ready?" Miguel nodded, wondering what it could be. He looked at his girlfriend of nearly three months closely. Her dark hair was up in a messy bun, her yellow crop top stuck to her body in the California heat. She wore denim shorts and sandals as they devoured ice cream sundaes in late September. Everything seemed just the same as any other day. "Give me your phone." Miguel obliged. She knew his password, and he knew hers. No big deal. She typed something in and handed the phone back to its owner. It was some YouTube channel called The Secret Studios. It appears wasn't too popular, just a few hundred subscribers. "What is this?" "Just click on any video." Miguel shrugged and after scrolling through the numerous 5SOS cover songs among others, he decided on All Of The Stars by Ed Sheeran. He stared at the stagnant profile picture with the name of the song beside it. 

No face reveal, nothing. Just the singer's voice to carry you from beginning to end. "Wow, this is great. The singer, her voice, if it's a girl, her voice is just so strong! I wonder what she looks like, though." Lauren beamed at the praise that Miguel didn't know he was directing towards her. He insisted on listening to a few more, "Do you really want to know what she looks like?" "Well, yes, but how do you know who she is?" Lauren simply shrugged and whipped out her own phone. She handed it to him. "Here." In front of his eyes were all the channel settings for the same channel. "Wait-" he stuttered. "This is your channel?" Lauren nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Lauren Wilson, you dark horse! Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Lauren laughed. "I was just trying things out. I didn't even know if it would work out at first. Besides, the reason I started this is because you gave me the confidence in my voice that I didn't have before." "Wow. How long have you been doing this?" "Since the break began. So nearly four months now." "And you managed to get six hundred people to subscribe in such a short time?" "I know, right? I still can't believe it! Maybe this will be my way of breaking through in the industry. Nah, too far fetched. I'm just happy with what I'm doing." Miguel smiled at her. She knew what she wanted, how she would get there, and why she wanted to do it. She had her life sorted out to the last second. "I'm proud of you." "Thanks, but I'm just getting started." 

"You're amazing, do you know that?" Miguel said, slowly leaning in. Before Lauren could process what was going on, she felt the warmth of Miguel's lips on hers, as his arms pulled her closer towards him. She fully returned the favour, locking her fingers around his neck. "I'm starting to," she mumbled into his face as they pulled away. Her first kiss. Ever. Her flushed cheeks and shaky breaths were enough to say that she hadn't been expecting Miguel to do that. But that was okay. She loved it. She could stare at him forever, his dark hair sticking out at the oddest angles, their tips shining golden brown in the setting sun. His tanned skin glistened with beads of sweat near his temples with a triumphant smirk drawn across his face. "And you're perfect, did you know that?" Lauren said, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Maybe." That was all he said before giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

"I'll see you at school." "See ya."

As Lauren made her way home, she kept pressing her lips together and separating them again, occasionally feeling them with her fingers. She was still very much in awe of what had happened. She headed straight to her bedroom and locked the door. Man, her house was a hellhole. What wouldn't she give to get out? She had shut her ears to the fighting and resumed work on the song she was writing. In about half an hour, she heard her mother call, "Lauren, dinner!" She made her way downstairs, cautiously, as she looked around for any signs of them arguing. Strangely enough, things were quiet for a change. Her father was on the phone, seemingly an important one, so she didn't disturb him. Her mother seemed calmer too, but Lauren didn't miss the sullen looks on both their faces. She didn't miss the tear-stained eyes, the forced smile, or the dead-eyed, monotones of voices. "Wednesday, at 10 am. Okay. Thank you." Her father hung up on whoever he was talking to and gave his wife a look. One of those looks that carried confidential information with it. She nodded and gave him a 'look' back. 

For the first time in months, there was no fighting. No raised voices or heated words. No words at all. It was a mutual cold war. Maybe this was good. Eventually, the awkward silence would bleed into stiff formality, and finally, the ice would melt and things would be normal again. Lauren tried breaking the silence by talking about her day. Nothing. One word answers at most. Even though you don't kiss and tell, she brought up the topic, hoping for some kind of reaction. "That's nice, sweetie." She couldn't get any more out of her mother, who looked positively worn out. Her father didn't even say a word so far. He never even made eye contact, as if he was hiding something he was scared to admit.

"Lauren, is everything okay between you and Samantha?" Lauren frowned. Not the best topic to end a great day with. Instead, she tried to lighten the mood. "Hark, she speaks!" She said, in the best English accent she could, and earned a half-smile from her parents. "Not exactly." "What's wrong?" "Let's just say that we're not on the best terms right now." Lauren refused to disclose any more, and Mrs Wilson got the hint. "So, if given a choice, would you rather stay with the LaRussos or with Miguel and his family?" "Why are you asking?" "Just tell me." "Miguel and his family, duh." "Okay." "Mom, why did you ask me that?" "No reason at all. Just in case Dad and I decide to go out of town or something." "Mom, I'm seventeen! I don't need to be babysat by either Carmen or Amanda!" Mrs Wilson gave her a half-hearted smile. 

"I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3/12/2020
> 
> Happy 9 years of 5SOS to everyone in the 5sosfam who's reading this! Here's to many more years!  
> \- irwindiaz11


	27. Home

"Hey, Lauren!" Lauren looked up from her phone to see the head of light brown hair looking down at her. Her parents had forced her to spend some time at Miyagi-Do, apparently to 'bond' with Sam again. What was she, a second-grade kid? "Robby," She acknowledged. "What's up?" "Nothing. Just wanted to talk to you." What would Robby Keene want to talk to her about? "You do? Well then, talk." "I'm sorry about what happened with Miguel. Sam was wrong to do that." A small smile crept on her face. "She was. But it wasn't your fault. You had no idea, did you?" Robby shook his head. "I had no idea she was with Miguel." "Exactly. So, it's all her fault. And you can stop hating Miguel." "No, that I can't do." "Why?" "I just can't." "I don't get it, what'd he ever do to you?" "The tournament..." "Besides that?" "You wouldn't understand." "Try me." "You wouldn't." With that, Robby walked back to Mr LaRusso, who was trying his hardest to act as though the incident at the restaurant hadn't taken place. "No, not like that, Sam. Try planting your foot more firmly and then aim for the torso." Lauren rolled her eyes. What the heck was she doing here? "Lauren, do you want to show Sam how it's done?" She scoffed at Daniel's poor attempt to get her and Sam within six feet of each other. "No thanks, Mr LaRusso. I'm good over here." 

Finally, after what seemed like forever, she got a text from her father asking her to come home. "Why did you get me to go to Miyagi-Do?" She demanded, searching their faces for an answer. "Lauren, we need some time alone." Her mother began. "What? Okay, I'll, uh, be in my room." "No, no, what she meant was, a few days. Or more." Her father interjected. "That's why we asked you who you would rather stay with for a while." Maybe this was them trying to rekindle their relationship. That was great news! "How long is this for?" "We're not sure. A week, for now, give or take a few days." "Right. So should I go upstairs and pack?" "I've already packed your school stuff to make it easier. You just need to pack a few clothes and anything else you want to take. Don't take too much, though." Lauren nodded. She was halfway up the stairs when her mother called her again. "Lauren?" "Yeah, mom?" "I'm sorry, love." She frowned. "You don't have to be! I'm happy for both of you, that you're taking some time to grow back together. Don't be sorry, it's great news!" "Oh Lauren, we're not-" Mr Wilson began to say, but then stopped mid-sentence. He took a deep breath. "Yeah, I guess you can say that, but not exactly." He finished. "I love you, okay?" Why were her parents acting so weird? So what if they wanted some time for themselves? They had been constantly trying to bite each other's heads off over the past year, but they were still a couple. She didn't react, just simply said, "Love you too, dad."

Within forty-five minutes, she was standing at the front porch with two backpacks and her guitar case, her car keys in hand. Her parents were emotional, for some reason, and kept hugging her. "It's not like I'm going off to college or something, jeez. Anyway, have fun!" "You have fun, too. No, uh, you know what, okay?" "Lauren scrunched up her nose at the idea. "Dad, gross! Why would you say that?" "Anyway, love you." "You too." Lauren drove off into the night towards Reseda, confusion hammering every corner of her mind "Why did they keep apologizing? It's not like they're kicking me out of the house!" She reached Reseda soon enough and knocked on their door. Ms Diaz opened the door with a big smile on her face. "Lauren, come in!" Lauren laughed to herself at the memory of her first meeting with Ms Diaz, and how she told Miguel to stay away from her. Now, she practically loved her like a daughter! "Miggy, look who's here!" Miguel came out of his room, disgruntled. His hair was a mess as always, and for some reason, he didn't have a shirt on. Lauren forced herself to look the other way as soon as she caught sight of her boyfriend, the heat rushing to her cheeks.

Ms Diaz shook her head and smiled as she watched the girl's reaction. "Hey, what are you doing here?" "Miggy, I told you a few days ago, don't you remember?" Ms Diaz gave him a look, and his brows cleared as his face dawned with realisation. "Oh. _Oh,_ yeah. I remember." He gestured awkwardly towards his room. "You can, uh, keep your stuff in there." Lauren raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you want to put on a shirt first?" Miguel looked down, and his eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't realise I wasn't- um, I'll be right back, sorry." He disappeared into his room with an embarrassed slam of the door. That's when his grandma came out of the kitchen. She beamed and said, " _Lauren! Es bueno verte, querida_." "What's she saying, Ms Diaz?" "Call me Carmen. She's saying that she's happy to see you." Lauren smiled at Miguel's grandmother. "It's great to see you too!" Miguel re-emerged from his room in a loose Led Zeppelin shirt. "Ah, much better," his mother said in an approving tone. "Lauren, come on! Wait, I'll help you with your stuff." The excited boy grabbed her guitar case and rushed into his room. "Miguel, wait! Be careful with that-" It was too late. He bumped into the wall and so did the guitar. "Oh shit, I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry! I didn't do it on purpose." Lauren pulled the case open and let out a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god it's a hard case!" "So it's okay?" She met Miguel's terrified baby browns and had to hold in a laugh. "Yeah, it's all good. Don't worry about it!" She set it down in a corner of his much smaller room. "Miggy, get the air mattress!" "Coming!" 

Miguel dragged an air mattress and a pump through the door. Lauren jumped up from his bed. "Let me help with that." Together, they had it up in no time and sat down to have dinner with the rest of them. Carmen went into the kitchen to bring the food as Miguel proceeded to set the table. Lauren offered to help multiple times, but they just wouldn't let her. " _Eres un invitado_." His grandmother had told her in an exasperated voice, and Lauren decided to leave it at that. There was a knock on the door, and Lauren got up to answer it before shooting a questioning glance at Carmen, who just laughed and nodded. It was Mr Lawrence. "Hey, Mr Lawrence. What are you doing here?" He narrowed his eyes. "I could ask you the same, kid." "Oh, I'm staying with Miguel for a few days." He let out a low whistle. "Definitely no red flags there." Lauren didn't understand that, but she didn't get a chance to ask him because Miguel came bounding to the door. "Hey, Sensei! Come on in!" 

The normal small talk went around the dinner table as both Johnny and Lauren struggled to understand the difference between bananas and plantains. "What's so funny?" She asked Miguel, who kept chuckling in between bites." "Nothing, just a funny thought." "What?" "You remember how I used to call you Sensei for fun, right?" "Yeah, what about that?" "Think about it. Sensei _Johnny Lauren_." Lauren processed it for a while and then gave him an annoyed moue. Johnny took a bit longer to understand, and when he did, he glared straight at Miguel. "Not funny, Diaz." Everyone couldn't help but laugh at that. What _a peaceful atmosphere,_ Lauren thought, comparing it with her own home. _Everybody's just so happy. No yelling at each other, no tears, nothing. I wish my house could be like this again._ "So Lauren, Sensei grew up in Encino as well!" Miguel said, trying his hardest to make up for his bad joke. "You did?" Lauren asked, wondering how he ended up in Reseda. "Yep." "Really nice houses there." Carmen chimed in. Before she could think, the words tumbled out of Lauren's mouth. "Yeah, well, just because it's a nice house doesn't mean nice things are happening inside it." She was shocked to find Johnny Lawrence say the exact same thing. "Well, this is awkward," Lauren said, letting out a nervous laugh. "But it's true." Was all Johnny said. Suddenly, the cheerful mood had a shroud of tension over it. "Second helping, anyone?" Carmen asked, taking Miguel's plate along with hers. "Yes, please!"

* * *

"What do you want to do?" Miguel asked, sitting cross-legged on the air mattress. "We could play video games, or have a movie marathon..." "...or get some sleep?" Lauren finished his sentence for him. "Sleep? Seriously? It's a Friday, Lauren!" "And I'm tired, Miguel! I have a lot to think about." He took a deep breath and gave her an understanding nod. "It can be hard, I get it." "Are you being sarcastic right now?" "No, of course not!" "What was that for?" "I thought you knew!" "Knew what?" Lauren demanded, not having the slightest idea of what Miguel was talking about. He tensed up and looked away. "Nothing. I'll just get the extra pillows and blankets. Be right back." Lauren wondered what he could be talking about, but decided to let it go as she was too tired to come to a logical conclusion. Today had been a good day, so she wanted to end it that way.

He returned a few minutes later and dumped a heap of blankets and pillows onto the air mattress. "Take your pick." Lauren naturally hovered towards the fluffiest pillows and the least warm blanket. "All right," he said and threw the ones she chose onto his bed. "Wait, shouldn't they be on the air mattress?" "Nah, I'll sleep on it. You get my bed." "Miguel, why?" "Because the bed is better. And I'm bored of sleeping on it every day." He gave her a quick kiss, not noticing his mother walk in. "All good here?" She asked, a slight smirk on her face. "Yep, we're all set to hit the hay!" Lauren said, climbing onto Miguel's bed. "Goodnight, both of you. Miggy, no funny business!" " _Mama_ , you know we won't!" He whined, disgusted. "My dad said the same thing to me," Lauren grumbled. Carmen just rolled her eyes. "Sleep well." She said and shut the door. "Don't lock it!" She called from outside. 

Miguel kept talking about something, probably school, but Lauren wasn't paying attention. She was wondering what was going on at home right now. No, that place didn't seem like home anymore. It was just a house. A house that had everything anyone would want, but an empty home. "Lauren?" "What?" "Did you even listen to what I said?" "Sorry, no, I was just thinking." Miguel got up and positioned himself next to her. "Thinking about what?" "What the word _home_ really means." "What?" "This is really random, I know, but most people just refer to their house as their home. Which could be true, but also not true. But a house is just a structure with a roof that you can stay in. A home is a safe space, somewhere that you're surrounded by your loved ones, somewhere that your free of any worries, and somewhere that you can always be happy." "And where is that?" Miguel asked, as Lauren leaned her head on his shoulder and felt his arms wrap around her. _Wherever you are,_ She thought to herself, but remained silent. "Home is where the heart is." She finally said, echoing an old phrase. Miguel kissed the top of her head before crawling back into the air mattress. "Goodnight, Lauren." "Goodnight."

_This feels just like home._


	28. Stargazing

"Hey, I wonder what's going on at my house right now," Lauren said, as they lay on their backs in an empty playground. She had been staying with Miguel for over two weeks now. "Maybe it's finally working out for my parents?" Miguel didn't want to answer her, because he was scared of how she would react. He wasn't even sure that she knew yet. He settled for a "Maybe," and proceeded to change the topic. In a while, Lauren sat up. "How did you even come up with this place?" She asked, looking around. "I'm just having a hard time believing that you come to an abandoned playground when you need to think." "No, Tory brought me here." "She did?" "Yeah, a while ago, to help me get my mind off Sam." "Right. And you guys were alone?" Miguel laughed. "Are you getting jealous of her right now?" Lauren shook her head rapidly. "No! I'm just asking!" "Okay, okay. I mean, jealous Lauren is adorable. You know, those angry blue eyes..." "My eyes aren't blue!" "I know, I'm just, uh, trying to make it sound... poetic." "But why do the eyes have to be blue if it's poetic?" "No reason, it's just the stereotypical eye colour of beautiful people, isn't it? Of course, you're way prettier than any of those generic heroines." Lauren laughed at that. "Besides, you don't have to be jealous. Sam and I don't even talk to each other anymore." "Why would I be jealous of Sam?" "I thought you might be? Because she's my ex and all." "Nah, Samantha LaRusso isn't worth my time." "Good." Suddenly, Miguel pushed her down without warning. "Miguel, what was that?" "Look up!" She looked up just in time to see an aeroplane pass directly above them. She glanced at Miguel, who already had an 'I told you so' look on his face. "That was amazing!" "Last flight out of Burbank. 10:36 every night." "Did Tory show you this too?" "Yeah." "It's so cool." "I know, right?"

"Lauren?" "Yeah?" "How do you feel about stargazing?" Lauren shrugged. "I don't know. It's not my thing, to be honest." "Oh." "Why, are you into it?" "Kind of." "So, do you have, like, a favourite star or something?" Miguel smiled warmly. "I'm glad you asked. Do you see that star over there?" "The Pole star?" "No, right beside it. The one that's shining a bright red colour." "Yeah, I see it. It's pretty and different from the others." Miguel looked up, the starry sky reflected in his dark eyes, his smile growing wider as he continued to stare at the little red star. "What's so special about that star?" Lauren asked. "Do you believe in folk tales?" She tilted her head to a side. "Not really, but sometimes I do." "My grandma used to tell me this story when I was a kid. There was a man who lived a very difficult life. He was poor, overworked and underpaid, never had enough to feed his family, and constantly got beat up by the village thugs. The only good thing in his life was his love, a beautiful woman with fiery red hair. She hid from everyone except him because they publicly humiliated her for her unusual hair colour. She was the only reason he hadn't given up on life yet.  
One evening, he was walking home from work with his bag of meagre salary in one hand and his family's rations in another. A gang of bandits jumped him and he lost everything. Badly beat up, tired and hungry, he wandered in the dark desert, now devoid of all hope of getting back home. He had lost the will to live." He paused to look at Lauren, who was listening intently, her eyes boring into his.

"He rested his head on the cold sand as he glanced at the starry sky. Not a sound came out of his parched throat, and he almost closed his eyes in surrender when something caught his eye. He sat up with all the strength he could muster and stared at it intently.  
It was a tiny star that shone a bright red, right beside the Pole star. It was beautiful; so small, so delicate, yet so unique. Whilst people would overlook it and focus on the bigger, brighter Pole star, the more the man would look at it, the more he would be reminded of the love of his life, waiting for him back home. She brought out the best in him. _I have to do this. I have to make it back alive,_ he thought. _For her._ With that thought, he slowly got up and began to look around. He had found the motivation to go back home, but he was inevitably lost. He drifted around aimlessly, trying to figure out what direction was where. He found himself blindly following the red star. _That's her,_ he thought. _She will lead me back home safe and sound._ And by some miracle, that's exactly what happened. He arrived home safe, and the woman, who was sure she'd lost him, was elated. He told her about the star, and how it reminded him of her and her fiery hair. Eventually, they ran away together and started a new life in a faraway place, and things began to finally turn around. Every night of the rest of his life, the man never forgot to thank the little red star for giving him hope."

"That's a sweet little story. Does that star have a name?" "My _Yaya_ would simply call it _Estrellita_ , meaning 'little star'. And I've believed in that story ever since, hoping that someday I'd find someone like that." He looked at Lauren. "And I finally did. You're always on top; you have the spotlight within your reach, but you don't want it; you want attention only from the people you love. And you're different from everyone else, you've got this unique flair that will never die down because you won't ever submit to anyone. And lastly, you've got that fiery temper!" Lauren laughed at that last comment. Miguel did too, but soon regained the serious look he had before. "But I'm being serious. You've been there for me more times than I can count, you helped create the best times of my life and helped me through the worst ones. You're my _Estrellita_ , Lauren. I love you." Lauren pulled Miguel closer to her as his arm snaked around her shoulder. "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me." She smiled as she touched her lips with Miguel's in a tender gesture. Their hands found each other as Lauren felt Miguel's long fingers tracing along the lines of her palm, rough and calloused from karate training. They locked their fingers together in an unspoken promise, the grip so tight that they knew they would never break. Nothing could tear them apart anymore. Lauren lifted her other hand and slowly ran it along their interlocked fingers, feeling every crease, every scratch, every bruise, and looked up at him to say, "I love you, too."

* * *

She awoke to find the air mattress below her empty. What time was it? She reluctantly crawled out of bed, tripping over Miguel's clothes strewn across the floor. Thankfully, she landed face-first onto the mattress. "Way to be messy, boyfriend." She grumbled as she finally made her way out of Miguel's nightmare of a room that they shared. Carmen was setting the table for breakfast when she saw Lauren. "Good morning, Lauren! Did you sleep well?" "Morning, Carmen. Yeah, I suppose I did, seeing as how I overslept." "That's okay, it's a Sunday. Help yourself to some breakfast." Lauren's eyes scanned the apartment, but the one she was looking for was nowhere to be found. "Where's Miguel?" She asked. "Oh, he woke up early for a change and left for a stroll. I don't know where he went, but he should be back soon."

Lauren had barely started on her scrambled eggs when the door opened. "Miguel!" "Hey, someone overslept!" "Where were you?" "Oh, just walking around..." He sat down next to Lauren and loaded his plate with food. Once Carmen left the table, Lauren leaned over to him and whispered, "Where were you?" He took a deep breath. "I got a part-time job. At Starbucks." "What? Why?" He looked a little embarrassed. "Miguel?" "Uh, I want to buy this cool game that's coming out in a few months. It's really expensive, though." "So expensive that you need a job to save for it?" He rolled his eyes. "I don't exactly have eight hundred dollars. Sure, I could ask my mom for the money, but I don't think we can afford it." "What game costs eight hundred dollars? I can help you save if you want." "It's um, something that's special to me. And I want to buy it with my own money without bothering my mom, so..." Lauren bit her lip and looked away. It was the first time she realised the evident difference in hers and Miguel's lifestyles. She barely had to ask her parents if she ever needed something for as long as she could remember, and more often than not, she could buy them herself. And here was her boyfriend getting a part-time job just so he could buy a video game. She hadn't realised how much she had been taking her life for granted until that day. She didn't say anything to him, just forced a smile and proceeded to eat. As she ate, she wondered why she hadn't heard from her parents in so long. Her mom had last texted her a few days ago, and as for her dad, no contact. She couldn't help but worry whether something was amiss. She knew she had no reason to believe that, but her gut instinct told her that something was terribly wrong.


	29. The Way It's Meant To Be

Lauren couldn't wait any longer. Why wouldn't her parents call her? By now, she was certain that things had gone awry. Her normally overprotective parents hadn't bothered to call more than twice in three weeks? Especially when she was staying with her boyfriend? She furiously looked for her dad's number, but he didn't pick up. Next, she tried her mom's. _Please pick up,_ she hoped fervently as she held the phone to her ear. Finally, the click sounded, signalling that her mom had answered. "Mom?" "Hey, sweetheart." "Where are you? Why haven't you or dad called in so long? Why isn't dad answering his phone? Is everything okay? How much longer am I going to be staying here?" The questions just kept on coming, and Julia knew better than to interrupt her daughter. To be honest, she didn't even trust herself to speak at that moment. "Mom, are you still there? Answer me!" Still nothing. Lauren gripped her hair tightly in desperation. "Mom!!! Say something!" Finally, she heard a slow exhalation from the other end. "Lauren, I'm sorry. _We're_ sorry. I know we should have told you sooner, but we just weren't sure." "Told me what? What are you even talking about?" "Look, this may be quite the shock, and I wish things could have ended up differently but," "But what?" Lauren repeatedly tapped the wall with her fist. The curiosity was killing her and impatience got the better of her. "Mom," she snapped, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "Just give the phone to Dad if you don't want to talk!" There was an almost inaudible sigh.

"That's the thing, honey. Dad and I aren't together anymore." Lauren couldn't believe what she was hearing. She refused to do so. "What? No, no, no that can't be! Please, just tell me you're messing with me, tell me that you guys were on the verge of splitting but you decided not to! I know you've been fighting a lot, but you can't just suddenly end it!" Lauren was so overwhelmed by the news she just got that she didn't even notice Miguel softly come in and sit down next to her. "No, this wasn't sudden. We decided on it a while ago, a few months before we moved to LA. The whole process would take a while and within that time, we thought we could work things out and return to what we were. Unfortunately, things didn't go our way and just got worse. So, here we are." "You've been doing this for more than a year? You both were filing for a divorce and you wouldn't once think of mentioning it to me? Doesn't my opinion matter? Don't I need both my parents in my life, or have you just decided that seventeen years of having both of you with me was more than enough? Even if you hadn't asked for my opinion, did you anticipate how I'd take it? How I'd have to adjust to my new life? Or did you just assume that I was born ready? No, tell me! I need to know every detail of it! I'm not a little child anymore!" "Lauren, I'm so sorry. We never wanted it to be this way, but it's just the way it's meant to be. The final legal processes got over a few days ago, and then Robert needed to finish packing." "Wait, so he left? He just left? Where did he go? Why didn't he tell me? How could he leave without saying goodbye to his only child? He didn't ever call or text, for that matter!" The hits just kept on coming, and Lauren's ship was sinking with every word that entered her ears. Her body racked with violent sobs as the stream of tears seemed to burn as they ran down her ashen face. "He wanted to say goodbye. He was reluctant to because if he knew that if he saw you cry because of him, he'd just want to hold you close and never let go." "Then why didn't he?" Lauren cried, as her knees gave way and she flopped down on the bed.

Her palms were sweaty and her trembling fingers suddenly felt too weak to hold the phone up for much longer, which seemed to grow heavier by the second. She took a deep, shaky breath as she struggled to compose herself and her thoughts. Her whole world had come crashing down in an instant. "That's why you sent me away?" She screamed, unable to think straight anymore. "I thought it was in an effort for you two to rekindle your lost relationship so everything would- everything would be okay again! Instead, you just tore everything apart while I sat here hoping that things were back to normal. How- how could you?" "I'm sorry, my love, I already told you. It's hard for you, but it's even harder on me, and I didn't want you to have to be there through everything. You shouldn't have to go through so much at such a young age. I hate how things went down, but there's nothing we can do now." Her mother's voice quavered as she heard the defeated note in her daughter's voice, her broken sobs sent currents through her body that made her feel like she failed Lauren. She had failed her, by not making this work. Miguel sighed and pulled Lauren closer to him. This was what he had been dreading all along. His mother had told him the exact reason for Lauren's stay in their home but had warned him not to tell her. There had been a few times that he had almost let it slip, and now he felt himself wishing he had. She didn't deserve to have it all thrown on her at once. Maybe she would have been in a better state if he broke it to her gently? He shook himself back to reality. Nothing could be done now. The only thing he could do was be there for her. He reached out and slowly rook the phone from Lauren's hands. "Hey, Julia, it's Miguel. I'm so sorry about the divorce." "Miguel, honey, thank you for everything. I wouldn't know how to break it to Lauren if I didn't know that you were there with her." He winced as he heard the older woman's hollow, woebegone voice. "No, please don't thank me. I'll always be there for her, don't worry about it. Please, just take care of yourself." "I will, sweetie. Lauren's lucky to have you." Saying so, she hung up and Miguel tossed the phone aside. 

He turned to look at his girlfriend, her eyes puffy from crying, her tear-stained cheeks still damp from a fresh stream of tears and her lips trembled as she lamented between sobs, "How could they just _end it_? What am I going to do now? How am I supposed to be without a dad? Didn't they stop for even a second to think about what this would mean for me?" He reached out and wiped her tears off her cheek. "Oh, Lauren, I'm so sorry." He put her arms around her and she nestled into him, burying her face into his shirt, which was soaked within minutes. "Why- why did this have to-to happen- to m-me? Why did they-" "Ssh, don't. Just try not to think about it. Things might seem really messed up right now, but eventually, it'll settle down. I promise you." She looked at him with swollen red eyes. "And how do you expect me to adjust to not having my dad around?" She demanded, her voice barely above a whisper. "I..." Miguel had no answer to it. He couldn't answer her, because he'd spent his entire life without a dad and was used to it. "I don't know," he conceded, offering her the only form of consolation he could, holding her tight. "Exactly! You don't know! You don't know how much it hurts, so your empty words mean absolutely nothing! You just say that it'll be okay but it won't! My entire life just turned upside down, but you don't get it and you never will because you never had a dad!" Miguel recoiled as though he had been slapped, and immediately withdrew his arms from around her. In the uncomfortable silence that followed, the gravity of her words hit Lauren. She lowered her face into her hands, instant regret coursing through her. What had she said in a fit of desperation? "Miguel?" He didn't respond, just continued to stare at the floor. "Miguel, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that, I swear. The words just came out before I could process what I was saying. You know I'd never bring up your dad on purpose, right?" He turned to meet her eyes for a fraction of a second before his gaze flitted back down. 

"Miguel, please say something. I'll do anything to make it up to you, just say something. I wasn't thinking! I was just so upset that I didn't realize what I was saying. I'm sorry." She put out her hand and after some hesitation, he took it. "It's okay," he said, in a low voice. "You've just had bad news, and your reaction was justified." "Really? What I said was terrible, we both know it." He looked into her eyes, welling up with tears once again. "Really." He assured, squeezing her hand as he ran his fingers through her tangled hair. It was true, what she said really hit hard but she needed him now. He dissembled his hurt and focused his attention on her. The door swung open and Carmen made her way in. "Lauren, I'm sorry about your parents. I hate that you had to find out this way." She pulled the distraught girl into a warm hug, knowing that saying anything at a time like this would be futile. "You should eat something. You'll feel better." Lauren shook her head. "I'm not hungry." "No, I'm not letting you skip dinner. Come on." She let Carmen lead her out of Miguel's room. Dinner was unusually silent and nobody said much. Lauren had stopped crying, but the weight of the world was suddenly on her shoulders. 

* * *

The room was silent except for Miguel's steady, rhythmic breathing. She looked down at his sleeping figure, peaceful and resting. She lay flat on her stomach as her head was jammed full of disturbing thoughts. Just this morning, she woke up with a massive smile on her face. And now she couldn't sleep as she felt every aspect of her life crumble to pieces. She put on her headphones to drown out her thoughts. At some point, _Broken Home_ by 5SOS made its way into her queue, and it reopened the day's wounds in a whole new way. 

_Hey mom, hey dad, when did this end?_ _When did you lose your happiness?_

_I'm here, alone, inside of this broken home_

_Who's right, who's wrong, who really cares?_

_The fault, the blame, the pain's still there_

_I'm here, alone, inside of this broken home_

_This broken home._

"Lauren? Why are you awake?" She felt a touch on her arm and grabbed his hand like her life depended on it. "Can't sleep?" He asked, tracing random patterns on her wrists. "Yeah." She opened her mouth to say something but shut it again. Though Miguel couldn't see her in the dark, he sensed that she had something on her mind. "What is it?" He asked, interlacing his fingers with hers. "I can't help but feel responsible for it. There were so many times that they fought about me and I can't stop feeling like it's my fault." "No, it's not your fault. They had their differences, and if they did argue about you, it's only because they had different views on what was best for you. It's not your fault so don't beat yourself up for it. You just need to take care of yourself now." Silent tears trickled down her face to her neck, and Miguel softly patted the back of her head as he felt his shirt dampen for the second time that day. She locked her hands around his torso and held him tight, as though he would disappear if she let go. "Get some sleep, you need it." "I can't sleep." He detached her arms from around him and insisted that she lie down. He got in beside her, and she finally felt safe in the warmth of his body against hers. She rested her head on his strong, toned arm, using it as a pillow of sorts. "It'll be okay," he whispered, kissing her on her damp cheeks. "I hope so." 


	30. Redemption?

Time flew by, as Lauren slowly began to adjust to reality. It had been two months since the divorce, and the first few weeks had been hard. She had returned to her house soon after she found out. Miguel and Carmen insisted that she stay for a while, but she knew she had to be there for her mother through these trying times. She longed to be with her father, whom she was comparatively closer to. But he remained incommunicado, even refusing to reply to her texts. As much as it broke her, the fact that her father just up and left without so much as a call, she forced herself to pay attention to her mother, who hadn't been the same. Seeing her after nearly a month, the drastic change scared Lauren. She was no longer Mrs Wilson, instead went by Julia Beckett, her maiden name. The lines across her face seemed to have gotten more prominent and she seemed like she had aged five years in the past month. She knew better than to bring up her father in conversation, though she truly missed his presence. How he would burst into the room after his early morning gym workouts, or how she could hear his loud guffaw from upstairs. She even missed his infuriating fastidiousness, now that it was gone.

She couldn't help but harbour a newfound bitter feeling towards him. As the days passed, she found that time indeed does heal, and life does go on. She spent hours together on music, with her YouTube channel garnering a lot more attention than she ever anticipated. Almost at two thousand subscribers, this was a milestone she never thought she would reach. Amidst revelling in her secret achievement and dealing with her overworked mother, Lauren found herself knee-deep in SAT prep, with the exams just around the corner.

Things were going good with Miguel, though they barely had time for each other. Between school, tests, music, karate and him working at Starbucks, going on dates seemed to be quite low on the priority list. After a strenuous Sunday morning of studying, Lauren couldn't stand the four walls of her room. She needed some fresh air. And some company would be nice, too. "Mom, I'm going out for a while!" Lauren called, grabbing a beanie for the windy November weather. "Be back by dinner!" "Okay!" She made her way to a Starbucks and smirked at the barista. "Hi, what can I get you, lovely lady?" He asked. "Just a caramel mocha and two oatmeal cookies will do, kind sir. Here's your money." "Coming right up." "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but you seem to bear a striking resemblance to my boyfriend, who happens to be unavailable at the moment." "He seems to be a fascinating and debonair young man. I would love to meet him someday. And here's your coffee and oatmeal cookies." "Yes, he is indeed charming. I'm sure you would get along beautifully." "Well, I'm positive that he can't be better looking than me. Let me help you with this," the cocky barista placed her order on a table for two near the window and sat down in the seat opposite her. "You know, I'd tip you but you already seem too full of yourself." She said, leaning in for a quick peck on the lips. He laughed. "You were enjoying yourself back there. Are you sure you don't flirt with Starbucks employees every time you order coffee?" "Well, not all of them are my boyfriend, now, are they?"

"Get a room, guys!" Lauren turned sharply to see a bright red mohawk towering over them. "What's up, Eli?" Hawk frowned at the use of his real name but didn't say anything. He knew that once Lauren had decided on something, she'd never let it go. "What's up is that the king of Cobra Kai is wiping down tables!" He pulled up a chair and sat down with them as Lauren proceeded to feel the tips of his mohawk with her fingers, as was her habit. How he managed to keep all that hair in place for so long, hairspray or not, never ceased to fascinate her. "Don't touch," he said, brushing her hand away. And it annoyed him, which was just a plus. "Or what?" She asked, punching him on the arm.

"I'd normally say 'No Mercy', but considering that your boyfriend is my bro and the dojo top dog, I'll let it slide just this once." He smiled his signature half-smirk, earning a snort and a roll of the eyes from Lauren, while Miguel almost choked on his cookie. "Must be some video game you've got your eyes on, huh?" Lauren asked, staring at his green apron. "Mhm." Hawk looked confused. "Video game? I thought it was for-" A sharp pain in his shin was enough to shut him up. "Yeah, that isn't just any game. It's legendary." He said, and Miguel gave him an approving nod. He quickly glanced over at Lauren, but she was immersed in her phone. "Oh no," she mused, raising her eyebrows and biting the inside of her cheek. "What is it?" Miguel asked, hurrying to her side of the table. "Nothing!" She said, turning her phone away from him. "Show me!" "No." She shoved her phone into her pocket and hastily changed the subject. Nothing was said about it and normal conversation about Hawk and Moon, the upcoming tests and of course, karate, resumed.

"Alright, my break's up, so I'll see you guys later." Miguel got up and indeed began wiping down tables while someone else took over the counter. Lauren and Hawk decided to leave, and as just as she hung up after talking to Aisha, he snatched her phone from her. "Eli! Give it back!" "You know I won't." She sighed. "Fine, _Haw_ k, give it back." "I see that you're finally saying it, but I don't like how you're saying it." "I don't care. Give me my phone." "Just a second." He went to her recently closed pages and found what he had been looking for. What she was reluctant to show them earlier. "Demetri, that nerd!" He muttered as he angrily scrolled through his Yelp review of Cobra Kai. "Very unprofessional sensei... does not take into account safety and personal boundaries... in need of a major facelift... Oh boy, he's asked for it!" Lauren bit her tongue as she watched his nostrils flare up while his eyes narrowed in fury. "Calm down, Eli." "It's Hawk! And I won't calm down. Who the hell does that freak think he is, insulting Sensei like that? I'll show him!" "Use your head. Don't just go and pick a fight for something as trivial as this." "No way. He's going down."   


* * *

"You're dead meat." Demetri looked around at the five-man Cobra Kai clique that had surrounded him. One of them held him from behind as Eli, his former best friend glared at him with murder in his eyes. The same shy, timid Eli who was scared of his own shadow. The same Eli whose entire world would revolve around Demetri. Was that really the same person as this fuming red-haired punk standing in front of him? Just as Eli, he refused to call him Hawk, stepped towards him, there was a scream, a battle cry of sorts from behind, and out of nowhere, Samantha swung off Chris's shoulder and kicked the boy beside him. "Get back," she said, positioning herself in front of Demetri. "You guys need to back off." She said through gritted teeth as she focused Hawk with an unamused glare. "I don't want to have to hit a girl." He said, overbearingly. "You won't stand a chance." Robby stood beside Sam, looking ready to strangle the members of the rival dojo.

"Five against three?" Hawk asked, complacency dripping off every word in plenty. He eyed Demetri with disdain and corrected himself. "More like two and a half." He smirked at his teammates and approached Robby with a yell. Robby blocked and threw a backfist of his own at the other boy coming at him from his left. He glanced over at Sam before rushing over to her, but he didn't need to. She was holding up splendidly on her own, and with a start, he realised that they were executing the very wheel technique that they had spent hours practising on Mr Miyagi's balance board in the middle of the pond. Man, that was a wet day. What he thought was just as useful as a dance routine ended up being the key to their victory. 

Coincidentally, Lauren and Aisha happened to be hanging out at the same mall. All the shouting from the food court caught their attention and their eyes widened in horror at the sight. "What's going on?" Aisha asked, clueless. "I think I know," Lauren said, wishing she hadn't let Hawk get hold of her phone earlier. Her eyes drifted to Sam, who just flipped over Demetri's back to get to the Cobra Kai on the other side. A small smile crept up her face at that. Samantha LaRusso still had a streak of her caring self in her. Before she could intervene, Robby's vicious inside-to-outside sweep landed on Hawk's face and sent him to the ground, hard. "Hawk, are you okay?" Aisha rushed to the boy's side, who was knocked out cold. "He started it. He was picking on Demetri, so don't look at me like I just killed someone." Robby's defensive statement was true, however much Aisha wanted to deny it. 

"Yeah, I know. You two were great, by the way." Lauren squirmed at her poor attempt at a compliment. Robby shrugged. "Just doing what we had to. Besides, it wasn't a performance or anything." "Looks like Miyagi-Do's rubbing off on you, Robby," Lauren said, hoping to ease the tension. Meanwhile, Aisha gently dragged Hawk to the nearest table and laid him down on two chairs. Robby nodded. "I suppose so. Mr LaRusso has been really good to me." "That's nice." She noticed Sam come up to them, hanging back a little bit. "Hey, Sam," Lauren began, awkwardly. Sam's eyes darted across the floor and finally met hers.

"Hey." "That was cool, what you did." Lauren expected that to bring a smile to her face, as it did to Robby, but Sam's face contorted into a scowl instead. "Of course, we'd help him. Demetri's our friend, and he's in our dojo, too. Don't seem so surprised." She spat, her cheeks flushing an angry pink. "Look, I'm trying to have a civil conversation here because I don't want us to be on bad terms. If you can't keep up, there's no need to be so nasty." "Okay. I'm sorry, I think I went a bit too far." "You think?" "No, I did. I was just terrified of you finding out that I was with Robby, so I said whatever came to mind. I shouldn't have and I'm sorry. And I suppose my dad's frequent brainwash attempts against Cobra Kai kicked in." That seemed genuine enough, and Lauren decided to take it. She wasn't going to let her in all at once, but everyone deserves a second chance, so why not?

"At least both you and Miguel moved on." Her expression softened at the mention of Miguel. "How is he?" "He's great." "He was an amazing boyfriend," Sam reminisced, as Robby's peaceful expression turned into one of intense loathing. He cleared his throat loudly as Sam went on and on about Miguel. Lauren pulled at her earring, unsettled by the other girl's shining blue eyes and widening smile as she spoke of her ex-boyfriend. Lauren's _current_ boyfriend. "Uh, Sam?" Robby finally interjected. "Yeah, yeah, I mean, those were some good times, but no one compares to Robby." She said and went on tiptoe to kiss him. "Okay, I should get going. See you guys around."

* * *

Hawk limped his way home, cursing under his breath. How could Keene and the LaRusso girl get the better of him and his Cobras? "You lost! You lost the fight, and you lost your girl!" He reprimanded himself, pressing on his bruise to remind himself of his humiliating defeat. "You lost, Hawk! And you thought you were finally more than a nerd with a freaky lip. Today, you're no more than a loser. Your girlfriend broke up with you because of that pussy Demetri. Today, you're Eli! Eli Moskowitz!" He clenched his fists so tight that his knuckles began to turn white. Anger coursed through every vein, as he felt himself shaking. He didn't need Miguel to stick up for him anymore. He was Hawk, not wimpy Eli anymore. He was strong and he was badass, wasn't he? Then why did he let Robby Keene toss him to the ground like that? "It's over. It's done. You just have to get 'em next time." He whispered to himself, his hurt ego and vengeful rage taking a toll on his already exhausted body. "The fight is not over yet, son. It is only over when you say it is." Hawk jumped at the voice and began to look around for the speaker. And he emerged, from the shadows. First, his tall, dark shadow appeared under the streetlights, and then, a wrinkled hand holding a cigar.

"Sensei Kreese?" "I won't let you lose, kid. I will train you to be the toughest, deadliest fighter in the history of Cobra Kai." "Tougher than Sensei Lawrence?" Kreese's face twisted into a conniving smile. "Johnny Lawrence is no Sensei. He will be no match for you when I'm done with you."


	31. Merry Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, I was out of town for the weekend, so I wasn't able to write. Thanks for sticking around!

"Lauren, get the door!" Lauren grumbled and trudged to the door in her oversized Ratt hoodie, actually Miguel's hoodie, and sweatpants. Who could it be so early in the morning? And that too on Christmas Eve? Not Miguel, for sure. If she didn't call to wake him up for training every morning, he'd sleep through lunchtime. The knocking grew louder and more impatient every second. "Jeez, I'm coming! What is it-" She stopped mid-sentence as she pulled the door open. "You didn't forget us, did you?" Lauren's jaw dropped as she saw the familiar dark hair and hazel eyes she had missed for so long. Beside her, the unforgivably tousled blonde hair and mischievously glinting grey eyes bored into her. "Mia... Brendon... What- what are you guys doing here?" She breathed, a steady smile creeping its way up her face. "Making sure you still remember us, of course!" Brendon said as the two threw their bags to the ground and enveloped Lauren into a hug.

"Kids! You're here! Don't just stand there, come in, come in!" Julia appeared behind her daughter, a smiling warmly at seeing them after so long. "Oh, hi, Julia! How have you been?" Mia said, proceeding to hug her. She pulled away and looked around at the big Encino house. "Wow, this house is just stunning. Where's Robert, by the way? He's usually even more excited than Lauren to see us." On hearing that, Lauren raised a questioning eyebrow at her mother. She hadn't told her friends in Singapore about her parents' divorce yet. Julia took a deep breath. "Well, we parted ways." Brendon winced at hearing the bad news. "Oh no, that's terrible! I'm so sorry." "Thanks, honey. Now, don't you worry about that? You're in California, for god's sake!" He laughed. "Sure, I can't wait." Lauren grabbed their bags and put them in the guest room, taking leaps for steps as she hummed under her breath.

"So, Lauren, who's this boyfriend of yours?" Mia nudged from the passenger seat as Lauren drove them around the area that evening. She smirked. "Very good question. We're on our way to meet him right now." She stopped in front of the Cobra Kai dojo and waited for a while. "What is this place?" Brandon asked, marvelling at the logo. "Cobra Kai. The snake looks badass, though." Lauren laughed. "It's the karate dojo Miguel goes to. He should be out any minute now, along with a few of my other friends." Sure enough, the tired karate students flocked out of the dojo, exhausted and dragging their feet along. "Hey, who's the dark-haired one? The one next to the mohawk guy. He's good looking!" Mia observed as she peered out of the window. "Eyes off him!" Lauren mock-scolded, as the very pair walked up to their car and a few others followed suit. Lauren hopped out and asked her friends to do the same.

"Alright, so, introductions. This is Mia and Brendon, my best friends from Singapore. There are two more, but they're on holiday someplace else. Mia, Bren, this is Miguel, the _dark-haired one_ , who is _my boyfriend."_ Miguel smiled at Mia and got in a, "How's it going, man?" with Brendon. "And this is Eli, who would much rather have you call him Hawk because he thinks it's badass," Hawk smirked and threw in a "What's up?" Aisha, Tory, the introductions went on.

"So, what do you think of him?" Lauren asked as they sat at the table the next morning. "I wish my boyfriend was like that!" She whined as Lauren's eyes widened. "You have a boyfriend? When? How? Why didn't you tell me?" Mia blushed and looked away. "Do you remember Justin? From the eight grade?" Lauren groaned. That was the jerk that spread a nasty rumour about her across the school just because he didn't like her back. "You're seriously dating Justin, of all people? You know how much of an opportunist he is, don't you?" "He's different now! He's really sweet, but how would you know anyway?" Mia argued, Brendon sighing into his plate as the girls argued. Lauren couldn't believe that Mia defended that imbecile they had sworn to hate back in middle school. She hastily changed the subject. She didn't want to fight with Mia, who had come from Singapore for Christmas. She forced a smile. "I'm sure he's changed now," she managed, hurrying to the kitchen for a second helping.

* * *

"Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it?" "No Sensei!" Hawk gasped as he struggled to raise his torso after a pushup, the bricks on his back weighing him down. "Louder!" Kreese demanded, looking down at him with his arms crossed. "No Sensei!" "Like your life depends on it!" "Argh! NO SENSEI!" Kreese nodded in satisfaction. "Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it?" "NO SENSEI!" "Good. Defeat does not exist in this dojo, _my dojo,_ does it?" "NO SENSEI!" "That's enough." Kreese motioned towards the punching bag that hung menacingly, almost inviting Hawk to try his hand at it. "A hundred punches each to the face and chest, a hundred more elbow strikes." 

The boy bent down to grab the hand wrap, but Kreese stopped him. "You don't need that." Hawk looked confused. "B-but Sensei-" "QUIET! Do what I tell you to. No questions." He flinched ever so slightly, but bowed and obliged. The second his knuckles collided with the bag, he let out a sharp yell and clutched his throbbing fist. "Keep going, I never asked you to stop!" He bit his lip so hard that he could feel the metallic taste of warm blood in his mouth as he punched the bag. He winced, feeling the hard material inside the bag that didn't seem like the usual sand filling that Sensei Lawrence would use. 

He didn't dare question Sensei Kreese, but he couldn't help himself after his knuckles bled profusely after only twenty punches. "Sensei, what did you put inside the punching bag?" "Broken bricks and granite." "Bricks and granite? Sensei Lawrence used sand." Kreese laughed his maniacal laugh. "Sensei Lawrence is a pussy. If you want to be the real deal, you listen to me, kid." "But Sensei, my knuckles-" "Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it, Hawk?"

"No Sensei." 


	32. Tough Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I've slowed down on my updates, but I didn't want the plot to seem rushed so I had to spend some time sorting it out. Enjoy :)

With the SATs behind them, the juniors at West Valley High felt a giant load roll off their backs. "Let's go out tonight!" Miguel said, running around like an excited puppy now that he didn't have to use his brains for a while. "Yeah, it's been so long! Where do you want to go?" "How about Golf N' Stuff? I love that place. Besides, I need a distraction from thinking about the fact that my mom is dating Sensei Lawrence, of all people!" Lauren processed the information. Golf N' Stuff was where Miguel and Sam had their first date. Lauren and Sam were speaking now, but that it was one of his favourite places to visit because of the time he spent with Sam put her on edge. She pushed the thought out of her mind, forcing herself to think rationally. Miguel was with her now, and Sam was with Robby. They both moved on long ago, right? "Okay then, let's go!" 

They hurried to their next classes, Lauren heading left towards French while Miguel went straight towards his Geometry class, she heard a thud and a loud profanity. She looked behind to see Miguel land on his butt, sending his and some stranger's books flying. "Can't you see where you're going?" The girl yelled, exasperated. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking. Let me help you with that." He bent down to pick up her books and files that now lay scattered down the corridor. "Here you go," he smiled, handing the neat stack back to her. Lauren couldn't hear the exchange but by the looks of it, she seemed to be flirting with him. She noticed how she smiled and looked away at something he said, pushing her auburn hair behind her ears now and then.

Lauren glared at her turned back, taking an instant dislike to the stranger who seemed interested in Miguel. Her Miguel. Finally, aggravating her further, they walked away in the same direction with Miguel laughing so hard and never breaking eye contact. Lauren snorted in annoyance and flounced back to her allotted classroom, nearly tripping on her shoelaces that had come undone. "Lauren, answer the next one, _s'il_ _vous plait,"_ Lauren didn't hear her, and continued digging her pencil into her open textbook. "Lauren!" Madame Gabrielle's sharp voice startled her, shaking her from her thoughts. "Y-yes?" "I said, answer the next question." Lauren flipped through the pages helplessly, not having paid attention the whole time. The teacher tapped her foot on the floor, impatiently waiting for an answer.

"Uh, what page were we reading?" Lauren asked meekly, as the rest of the class burst into peals of laughter. "Pay attention! What are you dreaming of in the middle of my class, _que-est que c'est?"_ "Nothing..." "You are a bright student, _ma cherie, bu_ t it is not like you to get distracted." Lauren turned red in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again." "It shouldn't."

* * *

"Here I am, Amanda! I'm sorry I got a little late, but there was this thing I was teaching my students and Demetri finally blocked, and- wait, where's Anoush?" Amanda shook her head as she fixed her husband with a dead-eyed stare. "He left." "Oh. That's okay, that's okay, I'll just call him, we'll go for sushi. I know he likes sushi, we'll -" "No, Daniel. He left. He _quit."_ Daniel looked up from his phone, shocked. "What? He can't just leave!" "He was offered a higher title by Tom Cole, and this was our last chance to match it. You blew it, Daniel." "Amanda, wait!" He desperately followed his wife as she stormed out of the office, now wondering how he was going to win her back.

He stumbled through the back door after a long day, only to find Sam and Robby in a liplock. "Sam! What the hell?" They pulled away instantly, Sam's face the very picture of terror even though Daniel knew about his daughter's relationship. "Mr LaRusso, I-" Robby began to explain himself but Daniel stopped him. "It's alright. But you hurt her, Robby, you don't want to know what that will bring. Clear?" Robby nodded stiffly. "Goodnight, Sam." He hurried to the dojo, wanting to "change clothes", or so he mumbled, leaving Sam and Daniel in awkward silence. "Bye, dad." Sam ran upstairs, making a mental note to lock all doors next time.

* * *

"Who was that girl?" "What girl?" "The one who was flirting with you this morning..." Miguel frowned, oblivious of what Lauren was referring to. "I don't know what you're talking about." Lauren scoffed. "The one you bumped into on the way to Geometry. I saw how she was looking at you!" Miguel groaned, laying a hand on her shoulder. "She wasn't flirting with me! I just helped her gather her stuff that had fallen down, and we had the same class so we walked together." "What were you laughing about?" Miguel didn't like the questioning tone she was using. Why wouldn't she believe him? "General stuff. You can't just walk to class with someone without making small talk, can you?" "You can! You just chose not to." "Stop assuming things, please. Getting possessive of each other won't help in any way. You trust me, right?" Lauren nodded, eyeing him sourly. "So quit getting jealous, and let's get out of this car. We came here on a date, and now we're arguing." "Okay. I'm sorry." Lauren practically mumbled the words, but she couldn't shake off the familiar feeling that gripped her yet again.

"Do you remember the last time we were here? It was so much fun, _Sensei,_ " Miguel reminisced as they paid the cashier. "We've never been here together before." "We haven't?" "No, we haven't. Are you okay?" Miguel laughed and nodded. "Yeah, senior moment, I guess." "Senior moment? We're still juniors!" "That's not what a senior moment means." "I know, I was kidding!" "What do you want to do first? I say let's shoot some hoops. I keep having to beat underprivileged Encino kids and teach them their place!" "What does that mean?" Lauren didn't understand his joke, and Miguel shrugged and pulled her towards the basketball hoops. "It's something I said when I was here with Sam. Nevermind, it's a lame joke anyway." "I'm sure it is."


	33. Why Won't You Love Me?

"Miguel, what were you doing? Who were you talking to? Why won't you tell me what you were talking about?" Lauren followed at his heel, annoyed that he was being so secretive. The school year had simply flown by, and they were nearing the end of junior year. "Leave me alone for a minute, will you?" He said dismissively and got back on the phone. "Yeah, sorry, I'm still here," she heard him say. "No, no, that was... that was no one... Yes, Sunday evening... That's right. I'll be in touch... Thank you so, so much, you're a lifesaver... Right, for sure... Yeah, bye!" He hung up and whispered a, "Yeah, baby!" to himself as he smiled and shook his head, apparently proud of himself. "Who was that?" He jumped at her touch, her guitar-seasoned fingertips brushing his shoulder. "No one."

Lauren raised an eyebrow. "No one? Really? Why do you look so happy, then? Are you sure you didn't score a date or something?" Miguel rolled his eyes. "Why are you so possessive of me?" He asked, his patience wearing thin. "I'm not a baby. I'm seventeen, almost eighteen, and I don't respond to a controlling girlfriend. Even last week, you got pissed that I went out for 80s night with Tory. Do you really think I'm cheating on you?" Lauren bit her lip. Maybe she was being a tad possessive. No one likes a helicopter girlfriend anyway. But Miguel was her first boyfriend who really cared about her, and had stuck around for so long without some ulterior motive. He was hers, wasn't he? Being Cobra Kai's best student didn't help, either. Lots of girls were throwing themselves at his feet, and it was all she could do not to beat them to a pulp.

"Fine, maybe I was. I'm sorry." She wasn't really feeling sorry, though. If he wasn't cheating on her, why was he so secretive lately? Was he planning to dump her right before her eighteenth birthday? No, that couldn't be true. "Just promise me you'll stop being so controlling," Miguel pursed his lips, his face assuming that annoyed expression she was so used to. "I promise. You'll be there for my birthday on Thursday, right?" "Wouldn't miss it for the world." "Wouldn't want you to." She decided to leave it at that, not wanting to start a fight with him and pecked his lips softly before getting into her car.

* * *

"Happy Birthday, Lauren!" Sam and Robby made their way into her backyard, where the party was being held. The past year had been hard, so she decided to let bygones be bygones. "Thanks, guys!" She hugged Sam, and then Robby, as they handed her a bright red bag. She opened it to find four books, magazines of sorts. "Is this- oh my god, are these the official 5SOS tour 'zines?" Sam nodded in affirmation and Robby just smirked. "I love it! Thank you so much!" Before and after every tour, 5 Seconds Of Summer launched magazines that contained pictures, concert experiences and just random paraphernalia that was as precious as gold to any fan. Lauren had been collecting these tour 'zines, as they were called, ever since she had become a fan. 5SOS were on tour at the moment, their final show taking place in LA shortly. Lauren would have loved to go, but the entire tour was sold out in a matter of two hours, so she didn't bother checking the dates. So much for living in Los Angeles! They did comment on a video, though, and that was the biggest deal ever. Having 5SOS notice her work, and even acknowledge it meant the world to her. It had happened a month ago, and couldn't stop raving about it to everyone around her.

She waited by the door, the pleasant March evening seemed to disappear in an instant, for it was the day she looked forward to the most, till she saw him step out of the red car that sped away almost instantly. "Happy Birthday!" He said, leaning in for a sweet, sweet kiss. "You look stunning!" He marvelled at her purple dress that complimented her white combat boots and black nail polish. "You do too, Metallica man." She searched him up and down, but there was no sign of any luggage on him. Not that she cared. "By the way, I'm sorry I couldn't get you anything." He shifted uncomfortably. "That's okay. I'm happy you're here." "I spent all my money on that video game I was talking about. I'll make it up to you, I promise." Lauren shrugged. "It's important to you. Don't worry about it, you can make it up to me by dancing to 5SOS songs all night, and even singing their praises." Miguel groaned. "Anything but those four overgrown man-boys!" Lauren looked up at him sharply. "What did you say? Don't you dare." She wasn't even joking at that time. Anyone who said anything mildly offensive about the four Australians was bound to have their death sentence written then and there. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Come on, let's dance."

The night went smoothly, and everyone seemed to be having fun when Julia called Lauren to her. "Mom, why? I was counting down to the release of their new album! It's set to release any minute now!" "That band can wait, honey. There's someone here, who wants to talk to you." "Who?" Julia simply sighed and walked into the house. "It's been a while, love." Lauren stood frozen in her spot even though her first instinct was to make a run for it; her feet just wouldn't move. That voice...she hadn't heard it in about half a year, much less seen the person. She couldn't bring herself to turn around and look into their eyes, but her feet seemed to have a mind of their own.

"Why are you here?" She asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "I can't miss my baby's birthday, now, can I?" Mr Wilson stepped out into the fairy lights wound around the trees and pillars, reaching out for a hug. Lauren swatted his arms away as she suddenly felt the temperature drop. "Don't touch me." Robert looked genuinely surprised and hurt. His daughter who would throw herself into his arms at the first available opportunity was now coldly asking him to back off. "Lauren, why are you acting like this?" She laughed, a low, hollow chuckle as her lips twisted into a frown, and then a smile. "You're asking me?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, and her eyes had a fiery glow in them that he had never seen before. "You're really asking me? You show up here after nearly six months, and you never bothered to tell me that you and Mom were calling it quits! Not one call, not even a text while I was staying at Miguel's, and one would think an overprotective father like yourself would call every five minutes because his teenage daughter has been staying with her boyfriend for over a month. And the day Mom finally decided to tell me, where were you? Let me answer that for you: you left. You just up and left!"

She paused for breath, while Robert stood there, speechless. "You didn't know that I have a YouTube channel, did you?" He shook his head no. "I figured. Mom didn't either, and she wasn't too supportive of it at first, but when 5SOS commented on a video, she changed her mind." "Wait, that band you like so much commented on a video? Why didn't you tell me about that channel?" Lauren nodded. "You never cared about music anyway. So I thought I'd rather keep it to myself." "I'm sorry, Lauren. I really am. Things just weren't right, and I didn't want to hurt your feelings by being the one to tell you." At that, she glared straight at him. "So you decided to hurt my feelings by just walking away from my life instead?" Robert looked away, embarrassed and regretting how he managed the situation.

"Why are you still here, anyway?" Her brown eyes bored into him, scanning him for answers. They would once sparkle with love and admiration, now he could only see hurt and betrayal. "I'm moving to New York next week, and I wanted to say goodbye in person." She nodded stiffly, took a few shaky breaths and composed herself before fixing him with the same emotionless stare. "Well, you said it." Robert tried to make her see reason, but he knew it was no use. The divorce was months ago, and he wasn't there to tell her. She had tried to text and call him frantically every day for two months, and it had taken everything he had to ignore it. He hated himself for breaking his ties with his daughter this way; his only child, the pride of his life. But it had to be done. Julia would have nothing to do with him anymore, and he couldn't say he didn't feel the same.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I love you, always. I might not live with you anymore, but you can always call me if something goes wrong." Lauren raised her eyebrows and her mouth tilted into a sideways smirk. "And you'll answer?" He nodded. "Why would you doubt that?" "Because in the two hundred times I've tried to reach you, you never answered once. What if something already was wrong? Did you know that? You didn't. If I trusted you then, and you let me down, how can I trust you again? _I'm sorry,_ Dad, but you forcefully pushed your way out of your life, and I'm not sure I can afford to let you back in." Her voice quavered as she said these words, but never did it lack conviction. Robert bowed his head in defeat. His resolve dead, his heart broken, he decided to leave. "I'm sorry it had to be this way. I love you, Lauren."

The words formed on her lips, but she just couldn't say them. She wouldn't. She still loved her dad, but tonight had caught her off guard. She stood there frozen as he slowly left a box on the refreshments table and turned to leave. Eventually, her knees buckled and she couldn't control the sobs that took over her body. Why today? On her birthday? The overwhelming emotions continued to flow through her and out from her tears, as she felt so alone. No Miguel to comfort her this time. He was dancing and laughing loudly in the distance, clearly unaware of her whereabouts. She felt a hand grip her shoulder and squeeze it reassuringly.

"Hey, come with me. I have something to tell you."


	34. Chivalrous Rivalries

"Hey, come with me. I have something to tell you."

Lauren was still in a shock from her dad's visit, so she let the unknown hand lead her away before she realised what was going on. When she finally shook herself back into reality, she found herself face to face with a red mohawk. "Hey, Eli. What are we doing here?" She pointed to the backyard, where the music drowned out their conversation, and nobody seemed to notice their absence. Leaning against the garage door, Hawk straightened up and asked softly, "Are you okay? I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I kind of walked in on the last part of your talk with your dad..." His voice trailed off as he ran his fingers along the tips of his mohawk. She smiled. "It's okay, I didn't think I'd ever see him again, and honestly, a part of me had accepted it. But after that right there, whatever happened all those months ago- it feels like yesterday again..." She broke off after that, trying to stop herself from breaking down yet again. Of course, she had nothing to be ashamed of; this was Eli, the shy, sensitive boy who was a great hugger. Sure, he was the badass Hawk now, but underneath all the hairspray and the tattoo, some part of him was still Eli. People don't change so easily.

His face hardened as he heard her out. His jaw tightened as his palms balled into fists. "I can't believe that asshole!" He cried, and Lauren looked at him incredulously. "Excuse me? It's my dad we're talking about here!" "I don't care. He hurt you, and I can't stand that. What is Miguel doing over there, getting drunk and dancing? He should be here, giving you the affection you so clearly need! What an idiot." "He's having a good time. Let him be. I'll be fine anyway." Lauren waved him off, wondering why he had gotten so excessively aggressive lately. "I'll always be here for you, Lauren. Don't you ever, ever doubt that." She swallowed hard and nodded. "Thanks, I guess." Before she could say anything further, he stepped in and locked her in an embrace. "I like you, a lot. I've liked you ever since you came to apologise for Yasmine nearly two years ago. I liked your smile, and I liked your courage. You deserve better than that goof Miguel. You deserve someone like me, who will always protect you."

Lauren pulled away from him, shocked at his attack on his best friend. "Miguel's not a goof. He's an amazing boyfriend, who was there for me during the hardest times of my life. I love him, and I know he'll always be there when I need him. If you were trying to ask me out, try not to trash talk about my boyfriend, will you? And besides, isn't it against your bro code or whatever to make a move on the other's girlfriend?" Lauren said this in a jovial tone, but she was dead serious about the message it conveyed. "Be my girlfriend," Hawk snarled, reaching out to grab her. Lauren dodged in time and glared at him. "What has gotten into you? Why do you suddenly want to come between me and Miguel? Just because Moon dumped you for your idiocy doesn't mean you have a free pick of any girl you want!" "But I want you! I like you and I'd do anything for you, just be mine!" Lauren gritted her teeth, offended. "I'm not a damn object that you can own! I don't know what happened between you and Miguel, but this is just pathetic. If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my boyfriend, who loves me, doesn't own me!"

He blocked her path and chortled, not in the teasing way he usually did; it had a menacing edge to it that sent shivers down Lauren's spine. "Miguel's just using you, don't you see that? He likes Sam; he always has! You're just his coping mechanism, his rag doll he uses to drown out his sorrows with. He doesn't love you, and if you haven't seen that yet, you're blind! Blindly in love, I might add." With that, he proudly strode away. Lauren stumbled into the kitchen and gulped down two cans of beer before she could think straight again. Her mom would have killed her if she caught her, and Lauren normally stayed away from alcohol herself, but her subconscious just reached out for it before she could react.

The warm sensation tingled through her veins as she instantly felt lightheaded. "Lauren, you're drinking?" She turned around so sharply that she lost balance and had to grab the countertops to break her fall. The darned alcohol in her system wasn't helping much at this point. A familiar hand grabbed her waist and steadied her. "What's wrong? You don't drink. And where were you all this while?" She struggled to find the right words, but all the thoughts swimming in her brain just got mixed up with each other until her head was spinning and she felt the drink rising back up her throat. She threw up into the sink that was thankfully beside her, and collapsed into her safe haven. Sobbing into the chest she knew so well, she caught a whiff of the minty cologne she had grown to love so much, as the strong arms closed around her tightly. She felt his warm breath down her neck as he rested his chin on her shoulder, pressing his lips to her exposed back. "What happened?" He asked, slowly, sensing that it had hurt her deeply. "My dad showed up. He's moving to New York so he wanted to say goodbye. I lashed out at him and ended up venting out everything I felt ever since...it happened. I just couldn't get myself to trust him ever again, but I still love him." Miguel patted her multiple times on the back, as if she were a little baby about to fall asleep. "You didn't do anything wrong. But he really cares about you, and he wanted to make things right." "No that's not all of it!" "What? There's more?" "Jake tried to make a move on me. He knows I'm with you, and he just said some terrible things about you and-" "And what? Tell me everything!" Miguel was shaking with fury. "He spouted some nonsense about how he had to have me and tried to grab me. Obviously, I dodged him, but for a moment he seemed like that creep from the movie theatre and to be honest, it scared me." 

"That little..." Miguel now had his eyes on Hawk, who had dared to mess with Lauren. "I'll take care of that punk. Just wait till the next time we have to spar." "Miguel, don't do anything harsh, please." She couldn't possibly get the rest of Hawk's words out, because they hit a nerve too sensitive and she wouldn't know what to do if they were indeed true. She knew they weren't, but she preferred to stay this way. He released her from his firm grip, but Lauren clung on to him. "Don't let go, please. I need some part of this terrible day to be good. And to think it all had to unfold on my birthday." "Oh, Lauren, I'm not going anywhere." Miguel kissed the top of her head as he pulled her back into him. "I love you." Those three words were all she needed to hear. She smiled into the Metallica graphic tee and whispered, "You know I love you too."


	35. Best Day Of Our Lives

"Hurry!" She felt her arm being dragged across the halls, but she couldn't pull away. Without him, she was lost. Not as a cheesy statement, she was literally lost without him. Miguel had dragged her out of the Encino driveway and forced his bandana around her eyes. Some kind of surprise, apparently. "Where do you want to go?" An unfamiliar voice asked. Okay, now they were taking a taxi. Miguel kept silent for a while, and then said, "Here. This location. Please don't say it out loud; my girlfriend here isn't supposed to know." The driver chuckled. He sounded like an old man. "Sure, I won't. Get in, kids, you don't want to miss it!" "Miss what? Where are we going?" Lauren asked as Miguel helped her into the car before sliding in beside her. Sure, she trusted him, but the curiosity was killing her. "You can ask all you like, but I won't tell you." They had hurried out after lunch, and Julia even wore a knowing smile as Miguel dragged her out with him.

In about half an hour, the taxi finally came to a halt. "There you are. Have fun tonight!" Miguel paid the driver, thanked him and helped her get out. "Miguel, where are we?" He said nothing and kept walking. Lauren felt like a helpless toddler being dragged out of a toy shop by her mother, but didn't protest after a while. She was getting tired of not getting an answer. She could hear the chatter of a crowd, and excited squeals came from all directions every few minutes. Where on Earth were they? "You can take off the bandana," Miguel said, as Lauren heaved a sigh of relief and ripped the cloth off her. "Where are we?" She asked, looking around. They were standing in line in front of a mall of sorts, and this line seemed to go on indefinitely. She turned to face a huge sign that said 'Hollywood Bowl, LA'. 

"Hollywood Bowl? Miguel, why are we here?" He smirked and pulled out two cards suspended on lanyards, with _VIP PASS, BACKSTAGE ACCESS_ printed on it. "You're lucky that you wear 5SOS merch on a daily basis," She flipped it around and her heart was in her mouth when she saw the name printed on it. 5SOS. 5 Seconds Of Summer. Miguel had bought tickets to see 5SOS, backstage! She felt herself shaking, but for an entirely different reason as compared to the previous times. She was going to be able to meet Luke Hemmings, Ashton Irwin, Michael Clifford and Calum Hood, her idols, in the flesh after the show! "M-Miguel, when-" She couldn't bring herself to talk in her excitement, and he simply said, "Happy belated Birthday!" 

"The whole tour was sold out months ago! How did you even buy the tickets?" "That's why I got the job at Starbucks." "But that was for a video game, wasn't it?" "You really think so?" Lauren squeezed him into the tightest hug, planting kisses all over his face. "I love you, I love you, I love you so much!" Miguel laughed and hugged her back. "Alright, let's find a decent place to sit!" Luckily, they were near the front of the line and got in quite soon. She marvelled at the sea of seats surrounding the mammoth stage, which indeed had a structure resembling an upturned bowl over it, true to its name. 

In a matter of minutes, the arena was choked to its fullest capacity, and it all felt like a dream. So surreal. The lights changed colour, scurrying across the stage and sometimes into the front row that Lauren and Miguel had bagged. She sat there in a daze, imagining various ways that her conversation with the band could go. What if they found out that _The Secret Studios_ was her channel? That she was the voice behind the logo that they had liked so much that they commented? What if they invited her to go on tour with them next year? Their No Shame Tour scheduled for 2021 was rumoured to be the biggest and best series of concerts that they'd ever play. Nah, no way. Going on tour with them was just a distant dream.

Somewhere along the way, the wild screaming and crying broke her chain of thoughts. Her attention snapped back towards the stage, which had gone completely dark except for one lone spotlight that searchingly wandered around the centre. Jets of theatrical smoke shot up from the machines barely a few feet away from them. Something above their heads exploded, bathing the entire stage in confetti, and a faint guitar riff began to play in the background, gradually getting louder. Suddenly, the sound reached a crescendo and began to play faster and faster until everything came to a sudden standstill. The spotlight focused on the drum kit, that was now occupied by a burly figure, and he began pounding on his instrument for all he was worth as the music resumed. After a vigorous drum solo, the music came to a halt altogether as Ashton Irwin stood up from his stool and waved at the audience. "What's up, Los Angeles?" He cried into his mic as Luke, Calum and Michael ran on stage with their guitars in tow. "LA, how are you doing?" Luke screamed, earning a fresh round of applause and ecstatic cries from the audience, the heartthrob that he was. 

"So, I take it that you're doing fantastic, and you're here to have the best day of your lives. Am I right, or am I right?" Michael's ready humour roused a laugh from all around, his straight blonde hair falling over his eye in a choppy fringe. His Twenty One Pilots beanie added an innocent edge to his punk rock outfit, with his ripped skinny back jeans and olive green longsleeve paired with black Converse. "It's been a few months since we saw you, LA. If you know this song, sing along as loud as you possibly can. It's a relatively new one, off our album CALM. Let's go!" And just like that, the ominous guitar riff that preceded _Teeth_ boomed through the speakers _._ Lauren screamed till her throat hurt, and sang every word at the top of her voice. The voices from her phone came to life, the four faces on her bedroom wall were standing in front of her, and this is where she wanted to be. Hopefully on the other side of the stage, someday. 

Miguel glanced at his girlfriend from time to time, as euphoric tears ran down her cheeks. He didn't really like the band on stage, but she was happy and maybe, just maybe, they weren't _that_ bad. "Having fun?" He asked, around halfway into the show, when they went backstage for a two minute break. "This is the best day of my life; being able to see my favourite band with you, it's all I could ever want! Thanks a million, Miggy," he smiled. "I'd do anything for the girl I love."

* * *

"Okay, guys, here's the deal. Though Michael's our guitarist, he can't play really well and the only reason we're still keeping him around is because he's good looking, so he blends well with the rest of us in pictures." There was a roar of laughter from the stage and performers alike. "My point is," Luke continued, kneeling down on one knee near the edge of the stage. "We need one of you to help us out with the guitar for a few songs. Is anyone interested?" "Lauren, this is your chance!" Miguel said, forcing her to raise her hand. "But, what if I mess up? What if-" "What if you kill it, and actually earn a reputation with your favourite musicians? Go on!" 

Calum's steady gaze didn't miss the brunette in the first row, who looked hesitant, but was being encouraged by a slightly taller boy who was possibly her boyfriend. He had noticed her screaming every single lyric, he had noticed the shock on her face when he walked onto the stage, and he had noticed the tears that rolled down her cheeks, onto her Wildflower tye-die hoodie. Her hoop earrings swayed from side to side as she lost herself in the music, when she would gaze at Luke with a dreamy smile on her face, and when she would stare intently at Michael's fingers as they flew across the fretboard and how her expression would switch from one of awe to one of pure enjoyment as she observed Ashton pounding the life out of his drums with genuine delight etched on his face, because he knew that there was nowhere else Ash would rather be. 

He watched as she would smile at him widely and then shyly look away every time she felt his eyes on her. He noticed as many people in the audience as he could. He loved watching their reactions as they walked onstage. He couldn't bring himself to believe that people saved money just to come and watch him and his three goofy friends from Sydney play a few songs. It had been nearly nine years, but the love they received from their fans kept them grounded.

He looked over at Ashton and Luke, who gave him a look saying, "You pick." He cleared his throat and smiled. "I'm hoping that the beautiful brunette in the Wildflower hoodie would join us on stage." Miguel smiled down at Lauren and pushed her towards the stage, and she looked around in confusion. Calum Hood, _the Calum Hood_ couldn't possibly mean her! She looked at the four men on stage, her mouth agape in shock. "He doesn't mean me, does he?" She asked Miguel, who simply led her past the security barrier, and onto the stairs on the side of the stage. "Here she comes!" Michael said, as she uncertainly stepped onto the stage from his side. "I'm Michael, but I guess you already know that," she smiled warily and extended her hand. 

"L-Lauren. Lauren Wilson. I love you guys." Michael smiled warmly and jerked her hand away, pulling her in for a hug instead. "Give it up for Lauren Wilson, everybody!" The loudest was from the first row. "That's my girlfriend, suckers!" Lauren blushed at his giddy enthusiasm. "Is that your boyfriend?" Luke asked, bending to give her a quick hug. "Yeah, he surprised me by bringing me here today." "That's cool." She walked to the drum kit, where Ashton flashed her a charming smile and gave her a fist bump. Calum high-fived and hugged her. "So, you play guitar?" He asked, as Michael began to take off his guitar. She nodded. "Yeah, and piano." "Great, you can go ahead and play any of our songs that you know. Do you sing?" Michael asked as he adjusted his guitar to match her height. "I can sing, but I don't very often." "It's okay. Today can be one of the days that you do. What's your favourite song? Don't think, just answer." "San Francisco." "Alright, sing with me then!" Luke finally went back to the microphone stand. 


	36. Pinch Me

"You guys know our second album, right? Okay, even if you haven't bought it, you've at least heard of it, I hope." Luke was rewarded with a wild cheer as a response. "Right, so we'll take that as a yes," Calum laughed. "Give it up, for Luke and Lauren's rendition of San Francisco!" Lauren looked down at Miguel, who gave her an encouraging smile and blew a kiss. She then looked at Luke, who was right beside her, and he nodded, letting her lead. She took a deep breath and strummed the chords that she was so familiar with that she could play them with her eyes closed. She closed her eyes, and her low, clear voice drifted through the microphone to the thousands of people present. They encouraged her, applauding, and shouts of "Go, Lauren!" could be heard. 

_Leaves fall from the tallest trees,_

_Even mountains crumble into the sea,_

_Holding on to memories,_

_And I can't let go._

She stepped back as Luke and Michael began to sing the chorus she would hum to herself every time something got her down. That lyricism was a stroke of genius, and she felt at ease when she heard those words through her headphones at night. It was okay to fall. It was okay to be vulnerable. Even the strongest things fall apart at some point. You just have to get back up. Thunderous applause ensued as the final chords died down, and the song came to an end. "Lauren Wilson, everybody!" She couldn't hold back a goofy grin that stretched across her face, as all four of them hugged her and told her she did a great job. "We'll see you backstage," Ashton said, patting her on the back as she returned Michael's guitar to him. "Thank you so much for letting me play it." He laughed. "You were phenomenal. I hope you want to pursue music in the future." "I do, actually." "That's great, I'm sure you'll rock. You already do, in fact," he smirked and slung the guitar back around his shoulders. Lauren jogged down the stairs and dissolved into the crowd.

"I'm so proud of you!" Miguel said, and lapsed into a rant about how amazing she was. "I got it on my phone, and I'm going to post it on our way back. I'm sure Hawk can't do that with his girlfriend, if he even has one!" Lauren frowned. "Miguel. You aren't doing this just to show him up, right?" "Of course not. But I don't forgive him for the other night. Did you know, he attacked me when my back was turned yesterday!" "What? Why would he?" Miguel shrugged and said, "I don't know, but something about him has changed. Sensei got so mad at him, though. I hope he isn't up to something..."

* * *

"Thank you guys for coming out to see us. You've been a wonderful, wonderful audience and we can't thank you enough, LA. We are 5 Seconds Of Summer, thank you so much! Good night!" The stage went dark as soon as they took their final bow, the audience erupting into a bittersweet chorus of cheering, screaming, clapping and crying. Lauren and Miguel were one of the first to get up and head backstage. They found themselves in a maze of hallways, bumping into the occasional cameraman, soundcheck guy, and others. Finally, they came to a door, and Luke's laughter was clearly audible. "Let's go," Lauren knocked with a trembling hand, and the door was pulled open by Ashton, who was covered in sweat. His face creased into a smile, and made his dimples visible. "Come on in, guys!" The room was a little stuffy, considering the number of instruments stowed back there. "Shouldn't you guys have, like, a deluxe room with air conditioning?" Miguel asked, cautiously setting himself down on the couch next to Michael, afraid that he'd accidentally send the guitars crashing down to the ground.

All four of them laughed boisterously. "Nah, man, that's only in the hotels and places we go to for interviews. Backstage at shows, the performers get the worst arrangements, it sucks." Calum wrinkled his nose as he explained this to Miguel, while Lauren, Ashton and Michael were engaged in deep conversation. "So, how long have you two been dating?" Luke asked, always the inquisitive one. "Nearly a year. We got together last summer, before junior year. She has a YouTube channel, you know. She freaked out when you guys left a comment on one of her videos a while ago." "Really? We find so many covers of our songs that it's just hard to keep track. Do you mind showing me?" Miguel whipped out his phone, as Luke's eyes widened in realisation.

He hurried over to the others, Miguel's phone in hand. "Guys, do you remember that YouTube channel we found a few weeks ago? The one with the Ghost Of You cover that we liked?" Ashton nodded. "Yeah, it was an anonymous channel of sorts. Secret Songs, or something, right?" "Secret Studios, actually." Lauren corrected him. "You know about that, too? That girl, whoever she is, is an amazing singer! If we could, we'd totally invite her to open for our tour next year!" Michael's enthusiasm threw Lauren off track. "It's- it's my channel." "No kidding?" "No kidding, mate." Luke passed Miguel's phone to the others, and Lauren brought out her own to confirm it. "True to what we said before, would you like to open for ha next year?" Michael seemed to be genuinely intrigued by her skills, and the normally outspoken Lauren had to fight the impulse to hide behind Miguel. "I'd love to! But, my mom would never go for it..." "Why? Who wouldn't want their daughter to kick off her career in such a fashion?" 

Ashton seemed confused. To him, life hadn't been compassionate at first. His dad left when he was two, and as he grew up, the struggles of having a single mom and two younger siblings got to him. He would pressurise himself to be a father figure to his siblings, and the fact that they weren't very well-off got in the way. Stress and anxiety ate their way into him, and he wasn't new to the idea of taking his own life at sixteen. When he had found Michael on Facebook, his life changed. He found four friends, four brothers that stuck with him through hell and high water. If he had been given such an opportunity, his mother would have done everything to make sure he would be able to go. Besides the girl's ready smile and her obvious talent, a personal, probably selfish reason caused something to snap inside him, and he promised to help her, every step of the way. His younger sister, for whom he would fight to the death, was also named Lauren, and every time he looked at Lauren Wilson, he was inevitably reminded of her.

Lauren shook her head. "You won't understand. My parents are quite particular that music and other stuff in the arts can never be a real career, and people like you guys simply got lucky. I don't believe that, of course, but I don't want to go against them unless I absolutely have to. Sure, if she doesn't agree after everything, I won't be left with a choice." Ashton smiled, because it was then that he realized that this girl would stop at nothing to get where she wanted to be. She was a tough one, like his Lauren was. "Hey, you know, my little sister's name is Lauren, too. And you remind me of her in more ways than you can imagine." "Yeah, I've seen pictures of you with her and Harry. She's beautiful." Ashton glowed at the compliment. "She is, indeed. Anyway, I'm sure we can help convince your mom and dad. The four of us will step in, if needed." "Actually, it's just my-" Lauren stopped herself just in time. She had barely known them for a few minutes, and they had invited her on tour purely for her talent. She didn't want to turn it into a pity party by telling them about her dad. Not yet, anyway. "Thank you, I could use the help." Miguel noticed her sudden change in expression the minute Ashton mentioned Mr Wilson. Her eyes darted towards the floor, and she seemed engrossed in studying all the different kinds of shoes they were wearing. He sighed. Every time she had a good day, something just had to come along and ruin it. He fervently hoped that he would never be the cause of it. 

* * *

"Mom, you heard them, why won't you understand?" Julia shook her head decisively. They had just had a meeting with the managers, the label and 5SOS themselves, to ask for her permission to take Lauren on your with them, a week after the night of the concert. She had asked for a moment alone with her daughter, and she couldn't have objected more strongly to anything, ever before. "I won't let you do this, when you should be in college next year. Studying to make something of yourself and not just making merry your whole life." "I won't be dropping out or anything! I'll take my books with me and study whenever I can. I'll take exams and hand in projects online, please, just let me go!" "How can I trust that they won't try anything funny with you?" Julia looked her daughter straight in the eye, knowing full well that she had hit the nail on the head. Lauren knew they wouldn't even dream of doing things like that. They were great guys, and besides, didn't they always have security and managers around? She opened her mouth to say so, but her mother beat her to it. "Whatever you say in that deluded teenage dream of yours, you haven't seen the real world. It's not so easy, and money isn't just minted as you seem to think."

She went on and on about how it was a hard no, and she wouldn't let her go even if Julia herself accompanied her. Lauren's head threatened to explode. Here was everything she'd ever dreamed of being handed right to her, and her mother, her parent, who was supposed to want what's best for her, was the only obstacle in her way. She hated to do this, but if her mother wouldn't budge, she would. Someone needed to move, so there could be space to breathe again. "Okay, listen to me, Mom," she said, keeping her voice as calm as possible. "I could only hope that you'd let me follow my dreams, but I hate to break it to you that I'm eighteen, and a legal adult. So even if you try to stop me from doing this, you can't. I'd love it if you'd give me your best, and hope that I reach the heights I want to, but that's not something I can control, can I?" She stared at the older woman for a long moment, straining to detect any change in emotion.

Julia couldn't believe that this was her timid little girl. Here she was, finally spreading her wings to soar out into the world. She never doubted for a second that she would fail; she knew that once her mind was set on something, there was nothing left to be done. Her heart yearned to just say "Yes!" and wrap her into a tight embrace, but the words just refused to form on her lips. What if she went so far away, that she didn't need her any? What if she got hurt? She couldn't believe that the time had come, that her baby knew exactly where she wanted to be, and was ready to leave her alone.

"I've stayed quiet long enough, and I've hidden my wishes for way too long for the fear of disappointing you. Off late, I've realised that five, maybe ten years down the line, I'd look back and regret that I didn't take the opportunity that was placed in front of me. I hope you'll change your mind, but let me tell you, you can't change mine."

Julia drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "If that's really what you want to do, honey, I won't stop you. Just promise me that you'll take care of yourself."


	37. We'll Be Alright

"This time next year, you'll be on tour, huh?" Miguel said, sprawled on the sofa at Lauren's house. "Yeah. It still doesn't feel real." She replied quietly, her eyes on the TV screen. "You don't seem too happy about it," Tory noted, pausing the movie. Senior year was barely ten days away, and they had decided to do a "last" everything before the school year commenced. Julia was out that night, so Lauren invited her friends over for an all-night movie marathon. Everyone was there; Aisha, Tory, Moon and her girlfriend Piper, even Sam and Robby, who was starting at West Valley High this year. Everyone, except Demetri and Eli. "I'd rather not spend the whole night watching movies with a bunch of aggressive teenagers who want to kill each other, especially when there's no parent around if something goes wrong," Demetri said, while Eli, Hawk, whatever, he just rudely brushed them off, saying that he had something important to do.

That something being training with Kreese, of course. It took every ounce of her energy to keep them from killing each other. She was sick off juggling friendships; bailing on one group to hang out with the other, and the lies were just getting to her. She wasn't proud of it, obviously, but she wanted to end it. Today. It wasn't going as well as she hoped it would, though. Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do seemed to have drawn an invisible line right through the centre of the room, and shot glares at each other as if daring them to enter their half. She sighed and shifted around on the carpet, turning over to face Tory.

"Of course not! It's just that, I don't know what it means for me and Miguel." She looked at him doubtfully. Did he have even a vague idea of how much she loved him? Not just because he was a karate champ, not because he was handsome. It was because of everything they had been through together. There were ups and downs even before they started going out, times where they fought so hard that she was sure they would break up, and of course, who could forget what happened at the All Valley last year? In truth, all these things had just brought them closer together, and Lauren couldn't even imagine her life without Miguel Diaz anymore. Maybe that was the problem. She knew she fell hard, and continued to do so with every passing day. Sometimes she wondered if she was in too deep, and she knew that if something happened between them now, recovering from it would be impossible, to say the least.

On hearing that, Miguel sat up straight. "What does it mean for us?" He whispered, settling down closer to her, his head tilted to a side. "I don't know. I just want it to stay this way. It'll be hard, but we trust each other, so I think we'll be fine." Miguel smiled, putting his arm around her. "Then we'll be alright." "Thanks. I'm so glad you didn't feel differently." She ran her fingers through his messy hair, soft to the touch. "I love you," she whispered in his ear, not wanting it to catch anyone else's attention. Tory had resumed the movie, and the others were engrossed in _The Matrix._  
Miguel opened his mouth to say it back to her, but his eyes flitted over to Samantha LaRusso's calm face, frowning at the movie as she spoke to Robby in hushed tones. She caught Miguel's eye, and gave him a quick smile before turning back to her popcorn. His breath hitched for a moment and his body tensed. He returned to his place on the sofa, startling Lauren. "I know you do."  
She fell over, nearly banging her head on the soft material. "Why'd you do that?" She asked, frazzled. "Sorry, I just couldn't see the TV from there." Miguel replied sheepishly, and she rolled her eyes. "Just let me know next time, so I don't fall flat on my face."  


* * *

"I'm beat," Aisha announced, tossing her glasses aside and reaching for her sleeping bag. "One more! Come on, Aisha, don't be a pussy!" Miguel called, taking the remote from Moon and surfing through Netflix to see if there was anything left that was worth watching. They had started at about seven in the evening, and had gotten through all the three _Matri_ x movies. He stopped at Joaquin Phoenix's _Joke_ r, and everyone nodded their approval. "My last movie marathon before the stresses of senior year and beyond send me six feet under," Miguel quipped as he pressed play. Robby snickered. "That'd be real peaceful for the rest of us, so go ahead. I'll do it for you, if you like." "Shut your trap, Keene!" Miguel growled, getting up with his fists balled.

"Miguel, sit down, please. It's not worth it!" Lauren pulled him back down, and he relented after some resistance. "Robby, that was uncalled for! Can't you just shut up and watch the movie?" He scowled. "You know I can't, with that douche in the same room." "Guys, that's enough!" Aisha said, smacking her forehead with her palm. She was the only sensible one out of both dojos, and she avoided confrontation as much as she possibly could.

"So you're saying that we should stay quiet and ignore the very obvious taunt he threw to us? We're Cobra Kai, Aisha, one of us is threatened means we're all threatened! No mercy, remember?" Tory snarled, intensifying her glare towards Sam. Those two had it going, all right. "There's that terrible motto of yours again! You're barbaric, every single one of you. Cold-blooded, merciless, real Cobras indeed. I'm telling you, one day that motto of yours is going to come back to bite you. Mark my words!" "Oh yeah, princess? What are you going to do about it?" Tory cooed, her spiked bracelet glinting in the dimly lit room. "What do you think? Where there's good, there's always bad, you know." Sam said, her eyes narrowing. Tory whistled. "I didn't know that. Bring it on!" She stood up, her fists at her chest level, ready to fight. "Gladly." Sam jerked Robby's hand off her and got up too.

"Guys, guys, guys, stop!" Lauren pulled Tory back, earning an elbow to the shoulder. "Ow, what the heck?" Aisha restrained Sam, which was way easier. "Tory, Sam, knock it off! Can't you guys be civilised, for one freaking night?"


	38. One Last Time

"Hey, you should come over tonight. My parents are out of town," Moon suggested, her slightly excessive accessories making Sam cringe even through the laptop. "You're throwing a party?" She asked. "Yeah, it's the last day of the holidays and I'm inviting everyone. It should be wild!" Sam nodded, thoughtfully. There was a knock on her bedroom door, and Amanda came in. "I'll think about it," Sam said and hung up. "Just so you know, your dad and I are going out tonight." She said, sitting down next to her daughter. "Let me guess, Lobster Night at the country club?" She asked with a smirk.

"We aren't that predictable, are we? For your information, he's taking me out to dinner and dancing." "Ooh, fun!" Amanda laughed. "What about you, any plans tonight? Wait, let me guess; mini-golf and frozen yoghurt afterwards?" Sam rolled her eyes with a smile. "I'm not that predictable, am I?" "Whatever you do, make good choices. You always do. I know I don't have to be worried about you. Love you." She kissed the top of her head and walked away. "Love you too, Mom!" The second she heard her mother's footsteps fade away, Sam pulled out her phone to text Moon.

 _I'm in._

* * *

"But I don't want to come!" Lauren protested, for the seventh time. "Why? Everyone's going to be there, it'll be fun! Last party before senior year!" Tory said, and Miguel nodded in agreement. "I'm just tired, okay? And something tells me this party won't end well. Call it a gut instinct or whatever, but I feel it." Aisha laughed hysterically. "Oh wow, grandma Wilson here is a psychic!" Lauren groaned. She had just returned from an intense songwriting and rehearsal session with Ashton and Michael.

They were some of the nicest people on the planet, all four of them, and they were determined to mould her into one of the best musicians out there. These sessions would go on all the way till the tour and beyond, a few times a week for now. They were basically mentoring her, but she wasn't complaining. Only, Ashton could be a little too passionate when it came to rehearsing. He wouldn't let her go until it was perfect. But she loved every minute she spent with her idols. "I'm not coming to this party, you can do whatever you like. I'm exhausted, and I'd prefer to not be late on the first day of school. Besides, making sure you don't kill the Miyagi-Dos is exhausting, and I'm not signing up for that again."

"They're not coming," Miguel confirmed. "They aren't? Why?" He shrugged. "Aisha said that Moon just didn't invite them. Same reasons as you just stated." "But I don't want to come! We just had a movie night a few days ago. What are you, a party animal? Why are you so adamant about this party anyway, and all the 'last' everything we've done this summer?" "Because I'm afraid my mom's going to issue a ban on the fun from this school year. I'm pretty sure the only reason she isn't pulling me from karate is that Sensei Lawrence is her boyfriend now." Everyone giggled at that, and he looked away, embarrassed.

"Why would she ban you from doing stuff?" Tory asked, baffled. He shrugged. "I don't know, something about wanting me to learn from her mistakes, blah blah. You know, she met my dad when she was eighteen..." His voice trailed off, and Lauren nodded. Carmen had told her before, that she had gotten married at eighteen, and when she was pregnant with Miguel, she found out that his dad was a "very bad man". She refused to reveal more, so Lauren never asked her. Of course, this was a sensitive topic for her boyfriend as well, and it was understandable that Carmen would say something like this.

"I get it. You guys go ahead, though. Tonight's just not my night." "Please? I don't want to go to my last party before senior year without you!" He made that adorable pouty face that even Johnny Lawrence couldn't refuse, so Lauren was easy prey. "Fine. Okay, fine, fine. I'll come, but just for one or two hours. Then I'm out!" Miguel smiled and squeezed her between his strong arms. "Yeah, who knows? Next year, you'll be at parties with, like, celebrities." Lauren groaned. Not this again! There was a whole year left before the tour but with every passing day, it was starting to feel real. A whole year away from her family and friends. A whole year away from Miguel. What would she do? What if he didn't want her gone, deep down?

"I'm sorry. I don't want to leave you alone for almost a year!" "No, no! I won't be alone. I've got all these guys, I've got Sensei, I'll be fine. Don't let me hold you back, because you're going to take over the world one day." She giggled, a light, fuzzy feeling immediately replacing the growing anticipation inside of her. "Ugh, cheesy!" Tory cried, in a sing-song voice. "All right, let's go if you want to stock up on beer and chips before the party!" Miguel said, Tory and Aisha immediately after getting on board. "I'll pass. See you guys in the evening, though," Lauren turned to leave when Miguel stopped her. "Don't bail on me, okay?" "You say that one more time, and I'll make sure I won't show up, no matter what you try." "Okay, lovebirds! Cut it out!"

* * *

"Wait, why are they here?" Tory demanded, her eyes meeting Samantha's icy blue ones. "That's what I'd like to know," Robby said, his green eyes glaring at the boy his father seemed to have claimed as his own. Diaz. The name itself left a bitter taste in his mouth. "I thought, since it's the last day of summer, we can all just get along and have fun!" Moon tried to desperately break the ice, but to no avail. "No! Fun is out of the question when you've got losers in the mix." Hawk said, his eyes narrowing down on Demetri, who stood partially hidden behind Sam and Robby. "Oh yeah? You're one to talk, _Eli_." "Oh God, shut up, Demetri! Why do you always have to make things worse?" Aisha groaned, eyeing the Miyagi-Dos warily. Things hadn't been great between her and Sam ever since Valley Fest. "Hey, I've got some music playing! You guys, let's dance battle it out!" Lauren said, easing the tension as both parties murmured their approval and trooped into the living room. "Lauren, you're a lifesaver!" Moon sighed in relief, looking around for Piper. Lauren laughed. "No, I'm doing everything I can to keep my boyfriend from slaughtering his Sensei's son. It takes a toll on me, you know."

"Well, at least you know karate, and can jump in if things go too far. I can't even do that." Lauren frowned at Moon's sudden dip in confidence. She might be one of the typical spoilt Encino brats, but Moon had come to her senses soon enough to make amends with the Cobra Kais she had once tormented from behind Yasmine. She regretted it, and beneath the affected talk and all the spirituality, she was a pretty sweet girl. "Hey, why do say that? Karate isn't for everyone, you know. You don't have to do it if you don't want to." "I know, but I'll never be able to defend myself if I need to." "Moon, listen to me. There are so many things you're good at, that I don't have the slightest clue about! Take yoga, for instance. Meditation has never been my thing. I'm pretty impatient, so I've always been one to take it out with my fists. You're a rational thinker, a natural peacemaker, not a hothead like me, or Miguel or Hawk! You know when to stop things, and the fact that you detached yourself from Yasmine's clique is just another example of that!" Moon smiled at her gratefully, grimacing slightly at the mention of her ex boyfriend, but all was forgotten when Piper tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oh, Pipes, you're here!" Moon almost squealed in excitement, and Lauren chuckled to herself. She was never good at pep talk, but her friends had always felt better after hearing what she had to say, when they were down. Maybe it was because she had been through a lot herself, so she knew that empty and reassuring words mean nothing. You can either tell them what's true, or tell them what do to.


	39. Wrapped Around Your Finger

"Did you know I've had to double the classes at Cobra Kai? So many kids want to join my dojo." Johnny finished, smirking across the table at Daniel. "Oh, uh, I'm so proud of you, Johnny!" Carmen smiled awkwardly. "I love how dedicated my students are. There may not be as many, but they've got heart," Daniel shot back, smiling widely at Amanda. "Oh, so this is happening." She put it as bluntly as possible, shaking her head amusedly at both her husband and his rival. What had started as a sweet date for both couples now threatened to end as a disaster, because both men were more similar than they would ever admit. Bringing their partners to the same restaurant, and getting stuck next to each other, the rest of the tables being occupied.

The women tried their hardest to maintain some kind of peace, but once a rival, always a rival. "Hey, why don't we push the tales together?" Amanda suggested, signalling to a waitress. "That's a brilliant idea!" Carmen agreed, while Johnny and Daniel agreed to disagree. "It's a bad idea. Mandy, don't do this!" Daniel said, his face contorted with hatred for the man sitting opposite to him. "Carmen, why?" Johnny asked, looking defeated. They gave in to the ladies, and watched in silent agony as they were being pushed closer and closer to their mortal enemy.

After some small talk, every little word aggravating one or the other, Carmen stood up. "Excuse me, I have to use the powder room." "Wait, I'll come with you!" Amanda offered to accompany her. "Honey, don't do this to me," Daniel muttered, his eyes fixed at Amanda." "Carmen, no, no, don't leave me alone with this guy, please. Carmen!" 

* * *

"Wow, look who it is! Maybe you'd like to play a little game? Or are tea parties more your speed, princess?" Tory snickered into Sam's face, hopping off her stool. "Just give me a cup." Sam stood there with her arms crossed, glaring at the taller girl. Miguel sighed in exasperation, tired of the girls' rivalry. "New game!" Tory bellowed, as both girls got on their stools. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Robby asked, not leaving Sam's side. "What, you don't think I can beat her?" He shook his head. "No, it's not that-" "Legs up!" The crowd began chanting "Drink, drink, drink," again and again as both girls held the cups to their mouths. Tory downed hers in no time, while Sam wobbled slightly. "What's the matter? Can't hold your alcohol?" Tory teased, while Miguel looked uneasily from one girl to another. "There's no way that this ends well," Lauren whispered, eyeing her friends with worry. Sam said nothing, just closed her eyes and drained the glass. "I guess two can play at this game."

Tory smirked. "Yeah, surely." She turned to the onlookers. "Hey, big Red! Two shots of vodka." "Sam, are you sure you want to do this?" Robby asked again, in growing concern.

  
"Just give it to me." Samantha snapped. "Drink, drink, drink!" The crowd cheered wildly, and Sam shut her eyes, took a deep breath and composed herself. Balance, like her dad had taught her, was the answer to everything. She slowly brought her free hand from her face to her chest level, and exhaled slowly. In one swift gulp, she took the shot. Shocked at what she just saw, and quite tipsy from all the drinking, Tory lost her balance and fell off her stool, hitting her head on the ground and spilling vodka all over her. "Tory, are you okay?" Lauren, Miguel, Aisha and the others rushed to her side. "I need to clean up. Leave me alone!" She pushed them all out of her way, and ran into the house. 

* * *

"I'd like to make a toast to Eli Moskowitz, my binary brother," Demetri announced into the mic, tapping his cup to get everyone's attention. A ripple of confusion spread across the room. "Eli Moskowitz? Who's that?" "Oh, I'm sorry!" He laughed, "Some of you might know him as _Hawk._ Underneath that crazy clown cosplay and whatever kind of Manic Panic he dumps in his hair, he's still good old Eli, a real softie!" Hawk's jaw clenched, and he glared straight at the boy on the raised platform. "Alright, that's enough, Demetri!" He said, taking small steps towards the black-haired boy. But Demetri wouldn't stop, and went on about how Eli 'bawled like a baby when Dobby died!', rousing laughter from the Cobra Kais and Miyagi-Dos alike. He cleared his throat. "Have you ever heard of the term, _'sleep enuresis?'_ No? _"_

* * *

Sam stumbled onto the bench facing the pool. Her vision was blurry, and she couldn't think straight. She shouldn't have drunk that much, in retrospection. Robby tried to stop her multiple times, but she just snapped at him. Her long sigh caught Miguel's attention, who was just standing in front of the pool with his back to Sam, barely able to hold himself upright on his two legs. Lauren had snatched multiple cups of beer from his hand and thrown them away, but he just made a face at her and got a new one each time. What was Carmen going to say if she caught him like this? "Uh, hey Miguel," Sam took small, wobbly steps towards the dark-haired boy. "Hey," he said, without turning around. "I'm sorry about everything, Miguel. You should never have had to find out that way. Heck, I never should have been doing something like that in the first place!"

Miguel smiled and nodded. "It was a long time ago. It hurt, it really did, for a while. But I guess you moved on." "What about you? You moved on too, didn't you?" Without warning, Sam's legs gave way, and she would have fallen right into the pool if it weren't for Miguel. "Sam! Are you okay?" He caught her by the waist, slowly helping her back onto her feet. Before he could do that, her hands snaked their way around his neck, and she stared into those brown eyes, that were so indefinitely deep that she could get lost in them. His grip on her body tightened, as his eyes lingered at her lips before meeting her blue ones with a little hesitation. "The truth is, I never got over you, Samantha LaRusso," he said, a little louder than he would have liked, but his mind had a mind of its own, leaning closer and closer.

"Yeah? No, I can't hear you, I'm at a party! You know what, I'll call you back." Lauren hung up, idly strolling around the backyard. Phone calls in this place weren't even a possibility, with ear-splitting music and teenagers' drunken laughter at every corner. The last time she got drunk was on her birthday, which was also the first time. Turns out, her body couldn't tolerate it, yet. She spotted the pool and figured it'd be a quiet place to relax for a while. That's when she stopped in her tracks, rooted to the spot. In front of her was a sight she couldn't bring herself to believe.

Miguel and Sam, their bodies so close to each other that any stranger would immediately assume they were a couple. Sam's hands around his neck, while his hands gripped her waist. She dove behind the tree, hoping that Miguel wouldn't do what he looked like he was about to. The words that left his mouth struck Lauren like lightning.

"The truth is, I never got over you, Samantha LaRusso," She bit her lip, so hard that the tender skin threatened to split open and give way to warm blood. She couldn't cry now. There was no room for weakness when she had brought it upon herself. Before she knew it, Miguel brought his lips down on Sam's, and his hands wandered to her face, cupping her cheek while her fingers ran through his hair, making Lauren's blood boil. "I love you, Sam. It's always been you, and it always will be." Maybe time stopped for Miguel and Sam, but to Lauren, it was a good, long, five minutes before they finally pulled apart. "Oh no, I shouldn't have done that, I'm with Lauren," Miguel mumbled, gripping his hair in frustration. "I'm sorry." Sam hurried away, nearly tripping over fairy lights that had come loose from around the tree. She blindly gripped Lauren's shoulder to regain control, but felt a hand tear hers away and shove her to the ground, hard.

She winced, and sat up slowly. Before she could look around to see who it was, Lauren bolted into the house, grabbing her keys. Tears threatened to cloud her vision yet again, but the boiling rage was the only thing that kept it down. She could have known, she should have known that he didn't really love her as he claimed to. She was just a replacement for Sam, his coping mechanism, his rag doll. He only agreed to go out with her to drown out thoughts about Sam, while she selflessly, foolishly gave herself to him every time. Every single time she said those three words, she meant them with every piece of her entire freaking heart. She was in too deep, and she knew it. But oblivion is bliss, is it not?

Her hands were balled into tight fists, shaking feverishly with the urge to strike someone down so hard that they wouldn't get up again. To show no mercy. Her eyes burned with a savage fire that even John Kreese would be proud of. She stopped abruptly and stuffed her phone and keys into her pocket. There was nobody around. Good. She let out a loud yell and began punching the stone walls of Moon's garage like there was no tomorrow. Every punch was harder, faster and heavier than the last. Her teeth gritted together, her breathing ragged and shallow and an ocean of tears steadily flowing down her eyes, she didn't even notice the sharp pain every time her knuckles hit the rough, uneven stone. She didn't pay heed to the jolts of current every time her knee collided with the wall.

"I loved you! I loved you, did you know that, you miserable asshole?" She screamed, hitting even harder. Her knuckles were bleeding by now, but she didn't stop. In her moment of madness, she didn't notice Tory come out and stand beside her. "You know what? I'm a fool! I'm an idiot! I'm a hopeless romantic, and I hate myself because I still love you! I love you, but I don't want to!"

"Lauren! LAUREN! Stop that! Why are you hitting the wall? Are you crazy?" Tory pulled her away from the wall, observing her bloody knuckles and her livid, tear-stained face. Seeing Tory stare at her like she had just descended from Mars seemed to bring Lauren back to her senses. "Tory?" Her voice was hoarse and trembling, threatening to give out any minute. "Why the hell were you hitting the stone wall? You're not even drunk like the rest of us! Is everything okay?" Lauren sighed. "Do you think everything is okay?"


	40. Déjà Vu

"Little Princess is going to pay, all right," Tory said, grinning cynically. "No, do nothing harsh, please! I'm just going to end it with Miguel." Lauren almost regretted having divulged what she witnessed the previous night to Tory, who was glad to have all the more reason to hate Samantha LaRusso. Leaning against the pillars of the school building, Lauren nearly nodded off. She hadn't slept at all, while her bloodshot eyes and trembling lips said it all. The cops had ruined the party yesterday, so everyone made a run for it. Miguel had texted her all night, and it took every ounce of her willpower not to answer it and give him a piece of her mind right then.

"Tory, I'll handle it. Please, don't do anything you'll regret." The girl shook her gradient blonde hair. "No. She messed with one too many of my friends, and I won't stand by. No mercy." Sometimes, Tory's ferocious loyalty was that one push Lauren needed when she wasn't feeling like it, but today it was just terrifying. "I can't believe Miguel would do that! You need to get him back!" "No. I'm not getting him back or whatever. I have some pride left, you know. And I'm pretty sure things were over between us the second he admitted that he'd loved Sam all along. There's no looking back now." Tory shook her head. "There is no _no_! Defeat does not exist! Fight for him and get him back. I'll fight for you." "No, no, Tory, stop. I appreciate everything you've done to make me feel better, and you're a great friend. You really are. But this is pushing it. I'm not a part of Cobra Kai, and I don't identify with some of your mottos. I'm begging you one last time, _don't do anything rash. Don't hurt anybody._ Please?"

Tory nodded slowly. "Okay. I won't." "You promise not to?" "You're so boring. Yeah, whatever, I promise."

* * *

Missed calls. More and more missed calls from Miguel Diaz. "Try whatever you like, I am not answering. I don't want to hear it, not again," she muttered, throwing books into her locker haphazardly and slamming it shut. "Talk about déjà vu. What happened to your knuckles?" She shut her eyes tightly and repeatedly hit her forehead to the wall softly, drowning out the voice she least wanted to hear. The repeated stinging of her bandaged knuckles brought back memories of the previous night. "It doesn't concern you," she said rudely, and walked off. "Wait. You don't get to ignore my calls, not answer my texts, and then hide an injury from me! I'm your boyfriend, for god's sake! What's going on?"

Lauren turned to face him, allowing a mirthless chuckle to escape her lips that stretched into a tight smile that hurt to even do. His soft brown hair was unusually neatly parted to the left unlike its usual tousled state, and she had to hold back a chuckle. Miguel never liked his hair neatly gelled in place but his mother made him, and when it was, she was the one who would mess it up for him. Which meant it was bound to be an unlucky day for him. His imperviousness amused her, just the slightest bit. "No, you're not," she said no more, and Miguel cocked his head to a side. "What?" "I said, no, you're not my boyfriend. Not anymore." "What? Why? You don't get to walk away from this, from us, without an explanation!" This statement angered her, and she glared at him. "You want an explanation? Fine, I'll give you one! You love Sam." "What? You're being ridiculous! Don't tell me you got jealous of some little thing she did again! You're the one I love, always!" The clueless expression on his face just snapped something inside her, and her hands wandered to the neck of his pastel red hoodie, gripping it tight.

"Maybe I got jealous again, sure," she continued in a dangerous voice. "Because kissing her doesn't count, right? Telling her you love her doesn't count, right, because you were drunk?" She saw the colour drain from his face as he realised that she had seen it all. She put a finger on his lips. "Before you protest, let me tell you; the things you say semi-consciously are the truest. You're not in the state to be able to control the words or filter your thoughts before you say them. Let me tell you one more thing, King Cobra: I don't think you know the difference between like and love, between a relationship and distraction. Most of all, I don't think you know the difference between me and Sam. So let me make it easier for you, and leave you with the obvious choice." She let go of him and broke into a run away from him.

"Lauren, wait! I'm so sorry. I don't deserve you, and I don't deserve another chance, but please, I won't let you down. I love you. I really do." Lauren allowed herself to look into his beseeching brown eyes. She has fallen for this one too many times. "Empty words and sweet talk. That's all you are. I'm not falling into that trap again." Her eyes hardened, and her expression was glassy, revealing no emotion except slowly seeping anger. He grabbed her wrist in desperation, but she pulled it away harshly. "Get the hell away from me! Don't touch me, jerk!" She tripped him and sent him tumbling to the ground while she made a run for the classroom.

She took a deep breath as she made it just in time, and the principal began making her usual, mundane welcoming announcement. Suddenly, the speaker crackled, there was lots of feedback and cries of, "No, give it back! You're not supposed to be here!" And soon, Lauren heard a familiar voice.

"Samantha LaRusso. You know what you did, and you're going to pay for it. I'm coming for you, bitch!"

* * *

The girls faced each other, walking in slow circles like two predators about to attack each other. "I know what you did at the party," Tory began with a smirk. "You kissed Miguel." She stated, matter-of-factly, and there were loud "oohs" from the crowd that had gathered around them. "I..." Sam couldn't say anything, and looking at Robby's heartbroken expression made it even harder for her. Without warning, Tory lunged out and viciously began hitting Sam. Lauren ran as fast as her feet would take her, as soon as the bell rang to signal the end of that class, but she was too late. It had begun. She tried to stop them, but Sam and Tory wanted a piece of each other. She tried to pull them apart, pushing Tory aside, and Sam landed against the lockers. Seeing this, Robby let out an agitated cry and jumped in. He grabbed the collar of Lauren's shirt and pressed her against the lockers, his expression furious.

"Robby! I didn't hurt Sam, and I don't want to! I just wanted to pull them apart!" Lauren spluttered, as his hold on her neck free tighter and tighter and it was getting harder to breathe. "I saw what you did, so don't deny it," he growled. Lauren couldn't believe this. Her friends were ready to fight her and each other without hesitation, and here she was, trying to play peacemaker, to no avail. She stowed all her emotions away and kneed him in the groin hard. Robby yowled in pain and released her. She pushed him across to the opposite row of lockers and looked around for Sam and Tory. Robby got up, grabbing her arm and hyper-extending her elbow and placing it on his shoulder. "Oh shit," Lauren muttered. She knew this move. If she didn't think fast, he would break her elbow. She ducked through the space created by their hands and was just about to free her hand when someone growled and rammed into Robby, setting her free. "Hey!" Came the cry, and she knew the voice too well.

He turned around once, afraid to meet her eyes. "Are you okay?" Miguel asked, slowly touching her elbow to see if he broke it. Lauren shrugged. "I can take care of myself." She said, twisting his arm above her head, flipping him around and throwing him to the ground. "I should have used that in the tournament; I would have won. Instead, I let my feelings for you, as a friend and more than that, come in the way of that. Never again." Miguel saw the pain in her eyes as she looked down on him. While the back of his head throbbed, he wanted to kick himself as it slowly dawned upon him. He had used her just to cope with his breakup with Sam. He truly cared about her and he knew that she loved him. Maybe that was the problem. He knew how much she loved him, and he took advantage of the fact. He took advantage of _her,_ and he hated himself for it. Right then, he didn't care about the fact that Robby Keene was coming charging towards him. He swerved to the side and shoved Keene right into Hawk's open arms. "Hey man, we cool about the other day?" Miguel called. The boy nodded. "We may be enemies for a day, but we're Cobra Kai for life. Now go, I'll take care of LaRusso's little ray of sunshine for you."

Miguel sprinted in the opposite direction in search of Lauren. There was no way he could ever get her back, but he wanted her to know that he hadn't done it on purpose. Sure, she would never want to even look at him ever again, but he couldn't live with himself if he didn't tell her. He had tried calling Sensei Lawrence earlier, but it had gone straight to voicemail. He held his phone up to his ear, praying that she would answer his call, whatever hallway she was in now. His hopes dashed, he decided to corner her after school ended. He needed her to hear him out, at the least. His noble intentions were interrupted as the doors behind him burst open, and the fight spilled into the main hallway, led by Tory, who had a grip on Sam's shoulder and was pushing her on. Miguel caught Robby's glinting eye as the latter pushed everyone out of his way, his rival marked as a target.

* * *

Lauren tried to stay away from the literal war that was going on in the mian hallway. She knew she wasn't at her strongest because of her knuckles, and she would rather not throw herself to the hungry wolves. When someone would come at her, mistaking her to be a part of either dojo, she usually just kicked them away and left it at that. She caught Tory and Sam on the staircase and ran to them. "Is this the only way you know to fight? Dirty?" Sam shrieked, and Tory shifted her spiked bracelet to align with her knuckles. "This isn't a tournament. There are no rules." Tory lunged forward, trying to strike Sam with the weapon. Eventually, she dug it into the latter's arm and slashed through the flesh, smiling at the girl's pained screams. Lauren pulled Sam away, positively scared of this side of Tory that she had never seen before. 

'Tory, stop it! That's quite enough!" Tory pushed her down and punched her on the face, causing her lip to burst open and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. Tory held her down by her hair, one arm pinning her wrists together while she kicked Sam down the stairs. "What did I do to you?" Lauren cried, staring at her friend. Former friend, maybe. "Sam is the enemy, and I will do anything to finish her. You came in the way of that, so you're an enemy, too." She snarled, threatening to break her knee. Lauren winced as she allowed the girl to get closer, the pain in her knee intensifying by the minute. She suddenly lifted her free leg and kicked it right into Tory's face, taking the girl by surprise. She stumbled, and Lauren took the opportunity to hobble away. Her knee wasn't broken, but it would have been, had Tory pressed on for a few more seconds. Tory got up and went in pursuit of Samantha, dragging her down the stair by her hair. She brought her bracelet near Sam's face. "No. Mercy." She whispered, bringing it down. Sam blocked at the last minute, sending Tory tumbling down.

Lauren looked up at the second floor, where Miguel and Robby were settling scores. "This is for taking advantage of Sam!" Robby shouted, throwing Miguel into a pillar. "I would never!" Miguel growled, getting on top of Robby and repeatedly kneeing his ribs. "Then why did it happen?" Robby dodged just in time, as Miguel kicked the railing Robby was leaning against just a millisecond ago, breaking a part of it. "She doesn't love you, she loves me!" Miguel cried, and Lauren shut her ears, unable to bear it any longer. He _didn't_ love her, end of story. Why did her brain keep hoping that he did? Robby pushed him to the wall, kicking him in the chest. It knocked the wind out of Miguel, and he gripped Robby's leg, trying to get it off him, but the latter took advantage of it, launching himself up and kicking him with his other leg as well and resorted to punching him on the face, repeatedly.

Lauren couldn't watch as it got more and more brutal, she just drowned out the world as in a moment of dizziness, she gripped the railing to steady herself. She saw a blurry red figure fall down, and didn't register it until she heard Tory scream, "MIGUEL!" 

She snapped back into her senses and leaned over to see what had fallen. Rather, _who_ had fallen. And she wished she hadn't.


	41. I Take It Back

She watched as Miguel collided with the railing and a sickening crack followed. He fell onto the stairs, his body crumpled, and his eyes closed. Lauren's eyes widened in horror and she flew down the stairs to him. "No, Miguel, no," she whispered as she crouched near where his head was. His arms were awkwardly lying to his side, his left leg lay twisted at a grotesque angle. "Robby, what did you do?" Sam screamed, and Hawk hurried to his friend's side, his footsteps slowing as he noticed the pool of blood seeping from the back of Miguel's head from where he hit the stairs. Lauren noticed it too and pressed her hand against the deep gash to slow the bleeding. "We need an ambulance here, at West Valley High." Security had reached the spot, and a commotion broke out as teachers tried to shepherd the scores of students that had gathered around back to their classes. Tory limped up the stairs to where her Sensei's favourite lay, broken. She looked up to meet Lauren's fear-stricken eyes. "Lauren, I'm sorry," The brunette merely shook her head. "I could say I told you so," she said, her voice trembling.

She didn't care a damn about what transpired between her and Miguel earlier. The fact that he loved Sam over her seemed trivial now that she could feel his blood seep into her hands as the school nurses desperately patched up the wound with the minimal first-aid they had while they waited for the ambulance. They gently picked him up and rushed the stretcher towards the ambulance. All the students were pushed away from Miguel, though Hawk protested violently, wanting to accompany his friend to the hospital. Lauren felt the same, but she wasn't as vocal about it. Needless to say, school was dismissed for the day, and Lauren sprinted to her car. She turned around to spot the angry red mohawk bobbing up and down in the crowd. "Eli! You want a ride?" She shouted over the babble of voices, and he came rushing to her. "You're g-going to..." He couldn't complete his sentence, and for a moment he looked like shy, sensitive Eli all over again. Eyes downcast, lips trembling and stuttering speech brought back memories from two years ago when Lauren had entered the crazy world of Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso, that had blown up into this disaster. She nodded. "Get in."

They were quiet for most of the journey, as the same thoughts ran through both their minds. Lauren's fingers kept sticking to the steering wheel, and she noticed that she had forgotten to wash the blood off them. It was everywhere; smeared across her palms, caked under her fingernails and staining her jeans that had been spotlessly white in the morning. "Lauren," Hawk began, slowly, like he didn't trust himself to speak. "I'm- I'm sorry about whatever I said that night. I didn't mean any of it," she sighed. Looks like today was the day that everyone seemed to realise how they had each wronged her in some way or the other. "It's okay. Regardless of whether you meant it or not, it's true. He doesn't love me." "But you still do?" She hesitated to meet his questioning eyes. "I do." Nothing more was said, and their trembling hands found solace in each other's reassuring grip as they pulled up in front of the menacing white building they knew as the hospital. 

* * *

"You've seen your fair share of these. His spine is cracked pretty badly, and he seems to have broken a few ribs. It looks like a C4 injury, hopefully not, and we've put him on life support for now." The doctor tried to be as gentle while breaking the news to Carmen Diaz, who lost all control and wept in her mother's arms. "But he'll pull through, right?" Johnny asked. Diaz, you can't die, he thought. You can't die on me, Diaz. You cannot. "We can only hope he'll pull through surgery." 

Lauren and Hawk asked around for Miguel Diaz and were finally shown to his room. It was closed, but a narrow glass pane allowed them to see through. Carmen, Rosa and Johnny were talking to the doctor, who seemed worried. Her gaze wandered to the far side of the room, and her heart dropped. Miguel was almost unrecognisable, as bandages wound tightly around his limbs and several tubes and wires wove their way in and out of his body, while his neck was enclosed in a giant brace. 

Lauren squeezed Hawk's hand, scared that he was already gone. "What's up?" He whispered, in a soothing voice, their friendship back to where it used to be. "What if... What if he's gone?" Lauren felt the lump in her throat, and the way the situation played out that day, it seemed like a very real possibility. "No, don't say that. He's not gone. He's Cobra Kai, Sensei Lawrence's top student and current All Valley champion; he won't give up so easily. Not without a fight." His words seemed to reassure her and the pair continued to observe the adults' conversation. "They're prepping him for surgery," Hawk mumbled, trying to keep from tearing up. Man up, Hawk. Don't cry like a girl!

"How do you know that?" Lauren asked, because when it came to medicine, she was none the wiser. "I've been in five surgeries to correct my lip, when I was Eli." He stated. Lauren ignored how he referred to Eli as a completely different person. Miguel was all that mattered. There seemed to be a heated exchange between Carmen and Johnny, who nodded, and said something that looked like an apology, and walked out. He was crying, his shoulders were heaving as he struggled to see the situation for what it really was. He blamed himself for Miguel's injury, and Carmen did too. "Sensei Lawrence?" He looked up at the mention of his name, spotting the two children. "How is he, Mr Lawrence?" Lauren asked, gesturing to the seats beside the door. Johnny nodded and sat down, while Lauren and Hawk positioned themselves on either side of the blonde.

"How bad is it, Sensei?" Hawk reiterated Lauren's question, as apparently Johnny was too shaken to acknowledge it the first time. He sighed. "Pretty bad, kid. He cracked his spine and a few ribs, not to mention the several bruises and sprains. It's something called a..." He ranked his brain to remember the term the doctor used to explain Miguel's injury. Man, what was it? He knew for a fact that he would never understand, much less remember medical jargon. "...Ah, yes, something she called a C4. No, she said it was possibly a C4, hopefully not." Lauren's brows furrowed. Cracked his spine? That explained the crack they heard when he hit the railing. Oh, Miguel, what did you get yourself into? "What's a C4?" Hawk asked, running his fingers through his hair like he did when he was worried. 

"Uh, from what I understood, it's one of the most severe spinal injuries and he'll most likely be paralysed from the waist down. God, I hope not. And it takes a toll on his, uh, diaphragm as well, so he can't really breathe on his own, either." Lauren tried so hard to tell herself that it wasn't real; it was just some sort of twisted dream and she'd wake up any minute now. "It's all my fault," Johnny breathed, and Lauren could swear she saw a tear roll down the man's cheek. Wait, Johnny Lawrence was crying? "Who did this to him, anyway? I'll make them pay." "Umm, I get the feeling that you don't want to know..." Lauren could never tell him, especially when he was in this state, that his son had done this to Miguel. In fact, she wasn't sure she could be in the same room as Robby Keene anymore without strangling him.

"Who was it?" Johnny demanded, his eyes ablaze in the typical Cobra Kai fashion. 

"Robby. Robby Keene." Johnny's eyes widened in shock as he sunk into the chair and buried his face in his hands. "Robby? My Robby did this? Why would he?" On hearing this, Hawk stood up, his nostrils flaring. "It's all your fault! Miguel is in that room because of you. He showed mercy to Robby Keene because of you! And if he dies, that's on you." He stormed off, leaving Lauren stunned at the sudden change in his emotions. "It's not your fault, Mr Lawrence. I know it isn't. You've helped him so much in the last two years, and you have no idea how much he looks up to you." Johnny laughed sadly. "And I let the kid down," "You didn't." "Yes, I did. I lost everything, even Carmen hates me now. Pretty sure Diaz will too if he ever wakes up." Lauren could imagine what he was going through. Johnny Lawrence was a broken man, still stinging from his defeat against LaRusso, and Miguel had been his second chance at life. His ray of hope. Now, he had lost that as well. 

"It'll be okay, Mr Lawrence. I'll keep you posted, alright? It's not your fault, and Miguel could never hate you." A ghost of a smile appeared on his face as he took her hand gratefully. "Thanks, kid," he said, getting up to leave. "By the way, call me Johnny."

Just as he turned around the corner and his footsteps faded, Carmen emerged from the room, her face pale. "Carmen, how are you?" She saw Lauren and hugged her tight. She liked this girl, who had been with her Miggy through thick and thin. She heard about their little breakup and it pained her that after everything, Miguel chose the LaRusso girl. But she knew better than to take sides in teenage relationships. "How is he?" Lauren whispered, too afraid to ask. "It's not looking too good. They're prepping him for surgery in a few hours, and from there, we can only pray." Lauren opened her mouth to ask her something, but shut it again. She couldn't. She knew. "What is it, Lauren?" Carmen sensed that she had something to say. "No, no, it's nothing." "Tell me, what is it?" Lauren took a deep breath. "Can I see him?" 

* * *

She walked into the familiar building, the fourth time that week. It had become something of a routine now. Turning many corners and taking the long flights of stairs instead of the elevator gave her time to think. She spotted the curly hair that she had grown so used to seeing, in the same position. Leaning against the door, and nodding off. Looks like he had a rough night again. "Carmen?" Lauren whispered, shaking the older woman awake. "Sit down, at least." A smile stretched across Carmen's tired face, and she sat down beside the girl. "Rough night?" Lauren asked, and she modded. "His oxygen levels kept fluctuating all night." Lauren sighed. Always something different, tormenting him. "It's better now, right?" Carmen nodded. The surgery was a success, two weeks ago, and now it was all a question of how well his body would respond to the treatment. He still hadn't woken up, though.

"Can I?" Lauren asked, receiving a nod of affirmation. She set down her school bag and pushed the door open as noiselessly as possible. She didn't want to disturb him, even though he was in a coma, and wouldn't even notice. "Hey, Miguel," she said, sitting down on the chair next to his bed. She could never get used to seeing him like this, dependent on wires and machines to keep him alive. She brushed the hair out of his eyes and took in the sight, like she did everyday. His eyes were shut, one blackened and swollen out of proportion, while a cannula ran into his nose, supplying him with the oxygen he needed from a giant cylinder to the side. Needles and IV tubes spread out on his arms and across his chest, as he had a spinal brace starting at his neck and going down his torso, somewhat like a halter top. 

The karate champion, the boy who broke her heart in one swift move now lay helpless on a hospital bed, so weak, so fragile, and fighting for his life. She took his hand slowly, gingerly, between hers, like she was afraid that she'd break him. "You won't believe what happened at lunch today. Hawk got so mad at Demetri that he dumped spaghetti all over the poor guy's head! If you ask me, I say he deserved it." She stroked his hand, feeling his long, bony fingers in her own. His palm was ice cold because it wasn't receiving as much oxygen as it was used to, and she held it between her palms, trying to warm it up. This was what she did every day. She came to the hospital straight from school, and sat here with him for twenty minutes, maybe half an hour, talking to him, and telling him about her day. Sometimes, she would even stay for an hour, telling him how Ashton liked a song she wrote, or how Michael showed her a new way to play a certain chord to make it sound cooler. How Luke trained her at vocals until her voice was hoarse, and how Calum was teaching her to play the bass.

She sat in silence for a while, imagining Miguel to be responding through the constant beeping of his heart monitor and all the other machines that loomed over him. She checked her watch, and knew it was time to go. They wouldn't be too happy if she was late again. She stood up, careful not to step on any of the wires. "I've got to go, but I'll come by tomorrow, okay?" She stood there for a while, almost expecting an answer from him until she returned to reality. "And, I love you. Always. Even if you don't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excuse me if I got any of the medical terms wrong...I'm like Johnny that way, I don't understand medical jargon :)
> 
> Maybe you'd like to check out my Cobra Kai post on WordPress and do like and/or comment if you feel like!
> 
> https://greyanyasworld.wordpress.com/2020/12/16/an-evanescent-eternity/
> 
> Please don't mention that you came from ao3, though, for personal reasons I hope you understand. Thanks for reading this far!


	42. What Now?

_She made her way down the sea of doors, having memorised the route thanks to the millions of times she had been here. Every step she took was one of trepidation, dreading the moment she would reach room 409, exactly like every other day she was here. The brightly lit corridors gave her an optimism she wasn't feeling, and she stood in front of the door, dreading to open it. What if bad news awaited her? "Go on, honey," Carmen's soft voice egged her on as she twisted the handle and walked into the room that hadn't changed a bit in the two months that she had been here, except for the Halloween decorations from last month that they had left up. She smiled fondly at the streamers decorating the walls, reminiscing about how she had put it up with Carmen and Aisha on one of his 'good' days, which only meant that there were no complications with any of the machines and he was stable._

_Still no signs of waking up. The pumpkin-shaped candy bucket lay untouched in the corner at her orders. "They're only for Miguel," she had stated firmly, "and he'll have them whenever he wakes up." She didn't know if he would ever wake up but didn't dare say so out loud. The room was quiet as always except for the beeping of the machines that she had gotten so used to hearing that her mind dismissed it as silence. "Hey," she said, taking her usual place beside him. "You look dashing today," she smiled sadly, tousling his hair that Carmen had no doubt smoothed down a while ago. "I know you don't like it that way."_

_All of a sudden, the fact that had been plainly evident for the last few months forced itself into her, as she registered his skinny frame. Where all the muscles dissolved, who knew? In a moment of weakness, she squeezed his hand between hers as the tears fell in a steady stream. "Don't leave me, Miguel, please," she begged, as she swore she saw a slight shift in his arm. She released her grip on him, and he tried to slide his arm away, but stopped halfway. "It hurts." The voice was a little garbled and husky from months of being unused, but it was his, all right. "Miguel?" Her eyes widened in shock, as a smile crept across her face, and her hands rubbed her eyes in disbelief._

_"Lauren? Is it you?" He panted, his hoarse words interrupted by sharp inhalation as he struggled to get some air into his system. "Yes, it's me. I'm right here, and I can't believe you finally woke up! We were all really worried." He frowned. "Why? How long has it been?" He moved his stiff neck as much as he could, that of course was barely a few millimetres until he saw the Halloween decorations. "It's- it's past Halloween?" He asked, sounding almost scared. "No, don't worry. Yeah, it's November, but that's okay. Relax, just don't get worked up, okay? It's not good for you. Close your eyes and get some rest; I'm going to find your mom."_

_Miguel shifted around in his bed, his confusion growing as he found himself unable to move. "Lauren? What happened to me? Don't leave me alone like this!" She held his hand, rubbing reassuring circles on his wrist, and smiled when she felt his muscles relax. "It's okay. It'll all be just fine. I'm not going anywhere, just give me two minutes to find your mom, she'll be elated to see that you woke up. I'll be right back, okay?"_

* * *

So it was true. She couldn't believe her eyes, as she sat right there, crying tears of joy. She held her son's hand so tightly, like she would never let him out of her sight again. "Miggy, I can't believe it, you scared me, love." "Don't... don't worry. I'll be fine." Every word took a toll on Miguel. He could barely move, and breathing was a feat comparable to the hundred pushups he used to do on his knuckles. He didn't know if he'd ever be able to walk again, let alone go back to karate. Karate. How was Sensei Lawrence? Had he come to visit him? Had Sam and all his friends come? In all honesty, he didn't feel as brave as he pretended to be in front of his mother. He felt frail and broken, dependent on machines to stay alive. He was the reigning All Valley champion, for crying out loud. There was a knock on the door, and he tried to see who it was with the corner of his eye, for he couldn't move his neck, that was enclosed in a suffocating brace. The doctor watched him from a corner, eyes occassionally flitting towards the machines, lips pursed in a worried frown, and then back to him. The hushed exchanges she had had with his mother all day; he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Hey, Carmen, I didn't realise you were in here. I can come back if you want to-" her voice got stuck in her throat as she heard his sharp, short breathing, like he couldn't get enough air no matter how much he tried. Carmen smiled, her eyes red but happy. She kept muttering sweet things to Miguel as she stroked his forehead. There had been times when she had doubted whether she'd ever hear her son's voice again, but here he was. She saw Lauren, standing by the door awkwardly. "I- I can leave if you want some time alone," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "No, no, don't be ridiculous." Carmen said, her soft voice tingling in Lauren's ears. True, she had been there by Miguel's side each day, telling him what he missed out on. Taking his arm in hers, and it had almost felt like he was in silent agreement. Like they were okay again. Things never went awry when she visited, thankfully, but now that he was actually awake, she felt like a stranger.

She wasn't ready to face him yet. What would she say? How about, _"Hey Miguel! Remember me? Your ex-girlfriend who visited you each day when the girl you really love hasn't come in here once in these two months. She was here for a few days, getting stitches and what not, but the poor thing 'couldn't possibly bear to see you like this.' Anyway, how's it going, pal?"_ She knew that if she spoke, nothing but taunts and reproaches would leave her mouth, reminding him of everything they did together and how he threw it all away. But she couldn't just stand there either, with Carmen looking at her expectantly. 

After a long silence, she walked closer to the bed where he could see her without straining himself and took a long glance at the boy. He looked exactly the same as he did yesterday, except there was a defeated look in his tired brown eyes, which she remembered to be animated and glinting mischieviously, replaced by a deadly, determined spark whenever he donned that black gi. That spark had died down, and it looked like he had given up. He couldn't go on like this, and maybe he didn't want to. "Hey..." She didn't know what kind of answer she was expecting from him, but definitely not the one she got. Miguel said nothing for a while, as he took ragged breaths more and more frequently, almost gasping for breath. It scared her. "Where's- where's Sam?" He wheezed, like his life depended on it.

"I... she's not here. She never came, not even once. And I wish I didn't, too." She let out a hollow laugh. After everything she'd done, he wanted _her_. She wasn't needed here, not anymore. 

She felt like a fool. An utter and absolute fool, for crawling back to him every time he hurt her. It was like one of those pathetically cheesy romance novels, where the heroine was hopelessly in love, never leaving her beau's side even though she had her heart smashed into smithereens by the time the reader got to the second last chapter, but the story wasn't over yet. No points for guessing, the guy realises how much of an idiot he's been and recites a long apology speech, declaring his undying love for his lady, and yay, they live happily ever after. The end. The only difference was that her story had already ended. He didn't even want her, and yet she clung on, replaying the memories over and over again, like an insufferable radio that was broken beyond repair. She was, indeed. And she couldn't be fixed. She didn't need to be fixed, if that meant waiting for someone new to come along and praying that he wouldn't do the same.

_It's crazy when, the thing you love the most is the detriment._

_Let that sink in._

_You can think again, when the hand you wanna hold is a weapon and,_

_You're nothing but skin_. 

* * *

She had no idea how much time had passed; she had just been sitting there, lost in thought, bitter rage oozing out of every pore in her body. The door opened, and Carmen sat down next to her in silence. "Lauren..." she began, but the younger girl cut her off. "Don't. Don't try to justify his words. I heard what I heard, and he knew what he said. I was stupid to have cared," she didn't care that she was saying this straight to her face. "Lauren," she said again. "What?" "You should go in there." Lauren stared at her like she'd been slapped. "No. I'm never going in there again. I won't let him hurt me again. I'm sorry, but I've had enough." Carmen laid a hand on her shoulder. She hesitated to say the words, but they came out anyway in a shaking voice ready to give out. "He's gone."

It took a few seconds for the words to sink in, and Lauren shook her head, glancing at the clock above her. "What? No- no way. He was there, he was right there half an hour ago!" Carmen shook her head, and the tears fell, having nothing to stop them. "He couldn't hold on. He was gasping for breath for a few minutes, and then he gave up. He stopped fighting, my beautiful boy. My handsome young man, he's gone." Lauren took the hysterical woman's hand in hers, not knowing how to comfort her. "I'm sorry, for everything I said just now." Carmen merely nodded, and proceeded to call her mother, who was all she had left. Miggy was gone; he was really gone.

There he was, rid of most of the equipment now that it was no longer needed. So still, just like a statue. Beautiful, but fragile. Perfect, but flawed, and undeniably human. It was all there, from the day she met him at the mini-mall, to the time she flipped him on his back in the hallways, the day it all went wrong. Every single moment was like a movie of its own in her head, and they would never go away. The heart rate monitor was still there, and the flatline added a paranormal feel to the tense, melancholy atmosphere. Her phone lit up with a message from someone, and her eyes moistened as she caught sight of her wallpaper that she hadn't changed yet. A picture of the two of them, from the day of the concert. She took one last look at the unmoving body, and it sunk in. He was gone for good; dead, finished.

Her lip trembled as she allowed the tears to rain down in a sloppy mess. "I hate you so much, Miguel Diaz," she whispered. "But I never stopped loving you."


	43. Epilogue: Estrellita

"And I'm looking forward to not crying or any of that sh- I mean, anything of that sort, so let me get this over with before I do. I've said this once and I'll say it again; we might have been enemies for a day or two, but we're Cobra Kai for life. Miguel, my friend, my brother, thanks for everything, man, I'll miss you."

It was unnatural to hear such soft, emotional words from Hawk ever since he "flipped the script", and he got off from behind the dais and joined his friends. This was a hard day for all of them. Rows of family and friends in black clothing, and a subdued silence hung over them. He was a changed person after his humiliating defeat at Demetri's hands. He was now training harder than ever, under a much better Sensei than that loser Johnny Lawrence, preparing for sweet revenge. He sat there in silence, thinking of his friend. The only one who had believed in him even when he was wimpy Eli. Quite unlike Demetri, who seemed to enjoy his dominance over him all through middle school. He didn't deserve to go out this way. Not so soon.

Robby Keene would pay; Hawk would make sure of it. Sure, the kid was in juvie now, but he had a nasty surprise waiting for him when he got out. When he looked up again, he saw Johnny return to his seat with puffy eyes. The loss of his student had been hard on the blonde-haired man, but Hawk simply scoffed. It was all his fault, and now he was trying to play victim? 

Lauren stood up, her eulogy in hand. The paper was crumpled because of how she had been scrunching it up distractedly all morning. She couldn't bring herself to focus, because she couldn't accept that he was really gone. She took a deep breath, observing all the sober, mourning faces across from her. 

"Well, where do I begin? I'm Lauren Wilson, for those of you who don't know me. How I ended up standing here and talking about Miguel to you guys, I have no idea. To say the least, he turned my life around completely, for better or worse." She put down the paper; she couldn't believe all the cheesy nonsense she had written on it last night. She didn't need it anyway; she could go on about him for hours. 

"I remember the day we first trained together. It was early in the morning, and he kept complaining about how numb his feet were. Some days, we would go all out and do, like, a million pushups, while other days, we'd just lie around, talking, laughing, running around the beach. Our friendship wasn't all fun and games, though; there were ups, and quite a few downs, but we got through it with each other's company. I got past some of the most trying times in my life with his advice, his support and lots of sparring together. Time was just flying by, and I never thought I'd see the shy new kid turn into the best fighter in the Valley, and I'm glad to have been even a small part of his journey.

"Whatever went down between us, is, well, between us, and there's only one thing I can say without pushing it too far. Miguel, that night at the playground was one of the best in my life, and I'm grateful for all the beautiful memories we made. I wish you were here with me right now, and I miss you already." 

Carmen smiled sadly, while Rosa comforted her daughter, always the stronger one. Johnny nodded, giving her a thumbs up and a hint of a smile. "That was nice, kid," he said, and Lauren smiled. "Yours, too. I nearly cried while speaking, but I don't really want to in front of so many people." "Yeah, same." She took her seat between Tory and Aisha, half-hugging both of them, while she noticed Sam and her family a few rows away. Sam sat there, bleary-eyed, sniffling into Amanda's shoulder while the latter stroked her head comfortingly. Lauren rolled her eyes. How pretentious.

Soon, it was time to go. People headed straight to the parking lot, while some stopped by the coffin to say their last goodbyes. Lauren stopped there. "Mom," she began, but Julia nodded knowingly. "I know, darling. I'll wait in the car, unless you want me to come with you." She shook her head. "No, I'll be fine." She hugged her mother, and let the latter place a kiss on the top of her head. Lauren suddenly didn't want to pull away from the safe, warm embrace. 

"I can't." She said, and Julia just smiled. "It's hard, baby, but you'll get through it. You're so strong, honey. It'll be okay." Lauren nodded, and approached the wooden coffin that lay open. He was there, all dressed up in a suit, his hair neatly done. She smiled through the tears at that. "I miss you so, so much already," she whispered, eyeing his All Valley trophy and his Cobra Kai gis that were placed next to him. "Though I still can't decide if I love you, or hate you more. Either way, you're the best thing that ever happened to me." 

* * *

**2 years later-**

"Thank you, Amsterdam! This tour has been a surreal time of my life, and I'm gratified that I get to end it by performing for a brilliant audience like you guys. Thanks for coming out to see me play, thanks for all the love and support on my music, and thank you for being amazing in general!" Lauren exhaled, marvelling at the ocean of mobile flashlights that bobbed to the tune. She couldn't believe that she was actually living the dream, singing for about three thousand people. 

"I wouldn't be here without you guys, and all my friends and family that pushed me to do this when I doubted it. There's a long, long way for me to go, and I'm honoured to be starting out under the guidance of my role models, my favourite band since I was thirteen, my mentors; the fantastic 5 Seconds Of Summer. I've learnt so much from them in the two years that I've known them, and I'm forever grateful. Give it up for these four angels from Sydney, Luke, Ashton, Michael and Calum!" 

The crowd roared, tumultuous applause breaking through at the mention of them. Lauren smiled. It had been a wild two years; juggling college with tour was challenging, but she pulled through. There were times that she felt so homesick, as if she were imposing herself on the four of them and forcing them to look out for her. It was tough, but worth every second of it. "So, I'm parched; I'll be right back!" The lights went down as she hurried backstage. "Hey, you're just getting better and better!" Luke said, thumping her back. "It's all thanks to you guys." Ashton came up with a more serious look on his face. "It's time, Lauren. The moment of truth." Her face paled at the realisation. "No, I can't do it. Not in front of three thousand strangers!" His expression softened and he put an arm around her shoulder. "How much longer will you procrastinate for? You can do this; it's a beautiful song. You've prepared all year for this, Lauren." 

She sunk into one of the chairs, all the memories coming flooding back to her. "I don't know why I even care," she cried, "it's been two years!" Luke kneeled down to her height, his voice soft and reassuring. "Look at me, Lauren. There's nothing wrong with thinking about him. Maybe the way things played out for you two was less than ideal, but that doesn't change the fact that you loved him. And you still do. Sometimes, when you love someone, half of it doesn't make sense. Trust me, I've been there. But your song, it's waiting to be played, and released. A big part of being an artist of any kind is sharing your experiences, your joys and your sorrows with your audience. Who knows, maybe it resonates with someone, somewhere in the world. They'll know that they're not alone, they're not the only ones feeling this way."

Lauren looked into his piercing blue eyes. She hadn't realised how close she had gotten to the four of them. They were more than just artists mentoring another artist; they were like friends, older brothers even. "Look, people like you and me, we have a voice, and we should use it for all the right reasons," Michael said, handing her guitar to her. "Just remember that however bad it gets; no matter how deep you think you're drowning, you're not the only one who's suffering. There are millions who've got it much worse. It's okay to be vulnerable, Lauren." She smiled, feeling better already. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys." "We're right here, okay?" Calum said, tuning his bass as they prepared to go on stage after this last song. "I'm doing this," Lauren said, taking out her phone to take a look at him. 

Messy brown hair, tan skin, tight-lipped smile; it was all there. She smiled fondly at the picture, that was taken at Valley Fest when Cobra Kai decided to crash Miyagi-Do's demonstration. Oh, the sweet days of that rivalry. Miguel was in his black Cobra Kai gi, complete with a black headband while Lauren clung on to him, koala style. They were all smiles as they looked at each other with shining eyes. There he was, immortalised in her mind, etched into her heart. "Do you want me to play backup on the piano?" Luke asked, but she declined his offer. "No, it's got to be me." She walked back on stage, a renewed confidence in her stride.

"Sorry, that took so long. Speaking of angels, I've got one last song left to play for you. It hits a pretty personal place, and that's actually why I was having a mini-breakdown in there. I wrote this song at the beginning of this tour, rewriting and editing it throughout, because I just needed an excuse not to release it. I felt that it was too soon. I wrote this for a very special person, whose relationship with me is complicated to explain. Friends, more than friends, confidants, I don't know. Part of me would have liked to change the way things happened, but I've lived in denial for quite some time now. I've spent the best two years of my life with this person, but unfortunately, he left this world too soon." Her eyes moistened as she looked right into the blaring stage lights. "What I do know, is that he stole my heart and I'm pretty sure that he still has it. Hope you like it,"

She strummed the soothing chords, keeping them simple and allowing her voice to lead, as Luke had taught her. Her low, clear voice, filled with emotion, raw pain, hope, and laced with love, threatened to toy with the sentiments of the audience, as the slow words floated into their ears and the lights dimmed, focusing on the girl on stage. She shut her eyes, imagining his gentle hands running through her hair, and a lump formed in her throat. She composed herself, thinking of all the good times they had together.

_Thinking of you every time_

_Feels like looking for treasure I'll never find_

_A fortune I thought was all mine_

_Hidden away out of my reach_

_I never knew I'd fall so hard_

_Reliving the first moment until the last_

_Now you're gone, love left a scar_

_And I'm left caressing the past_

_The night's been long, you know I can't sleep_

_Drifting through hallways, I'm living a nightmare_

_I close my eyes, and you're standing right there_

_Crack a smile, and tell me you still care_

_The darkest skies couldn't resist your light_

_As I look up at you, I know you put up a fight_

_You say, "Don't give up, I believe in you"_

_"My little star, I wish I was down there beside you"_

_Can you hear me calling your name?_

_Don't you know, I've got so much to say_

_Got a feeling that I'm to blame_

_You could have been here with me today_

_I could never forget your hand against mine_

_I had your number, then you had my heart_

_Can't say your name without the tears in my eyes_

_Now I'm left caressing the scars_

_The night's been long, you know I can't sleep_

_Drifting through hallways, I'm living a nightmare_

_I close my eyes, and you're standing right there_

_Crack a smile, and tell me you still care_

_The darkest skies couldn't resist your light_

_As I look up at you, I know you put up a fight_

_You say, "Don't give up, I believe in you"_

_"My little star, I wish I was down there beside you"_

_Estrellita, come set me free_

_Half of me left when you did_

_Estrellita, you're all I need_

_Wake me up from this bad dream_

_Stripped me of my heart and my pride_

_Don't know why I love how you made me cry_

_I'd turn back time, yet I wouldn't change a thing_

_Guess it's our thing, cause you know that_

_The night's been long, you know I can't sleep_

_Drifting through hallways, I'm living a nightmare_

_I close my eyes, and you're standing right there_

_Crack a smile, and tell me you still care_

_The darkest skies couldn't resist your light_

_As I look up at you, I know you put up a fight_

_You say, "Don't give up, I believe in you"_

_"My little star, I wish I was down there beside you"_

_"Estrellita, the world's yours to keep_

_Don't hold yourself back because of me_

_Estrellita, I've got nowhere left to run_

_I'll be waiting right here when you're done_

_Estrellita_."

The next time the cameras zoomed in on her face, it was soaked with tears that she had held in for two years. Her eyes were beginning to turn red as she took her final bow, but a small smile remained on her face.

_I did it, Miguel. Thanks for pushing me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand that's it! The End. Thanks to everyone who read this and commented and left kudos. My first fanfiction ever, here it is. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Here's hoping that 2021 will let us do everything that we missed out on this year: camping trips from school, that long pending road trip, concerts that got postponed, and of course, Cobra Kai season 3! Speaking of concerts, if you're reading this and you have tickets to 5SOS' No Shame Tour, I'm so jealous! Stay tuned for more <3

**Author's Note:**

> [Formatter aka Bella's note: iOS message format created by CodeNameCarrot and La_Temperanza, [tutorial link](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6434845/chapters/14729722)]


End file.
